Wandering Star
by Fallenbelle2
Summary: Julia is forced to keep a secret from William and unwittingly explores a different side of society firsthand while working undercover at a brothel/burlesque club.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Wandering Star

Author: Fallenbelle

Rating: Eventually an M

Summary: Julia is forced to keep a secret from William and unwittingly explores a different side of society firsthand while working undercover at a brothel/burlesque club.

Notes: AU- This is a sequel to "The Rip", this story takes place immediately after that story ends, so since it's been over a year since I wrote that one, you might want to re-read that one or just take your chances with this one. Takes place between season eight and nine as Meyers is still alive in this story. This is a story I began working on last Spring/Summer, but I got stuck and have only just recently figured out a solution, and am now able to resume work on it after all this time. Just as "The Rip", this story also titled after a song by the most excellent Portishead.

* * *

On a late February Sunday afternoon that couldn't quite decide if it was late winter or early spring, with the remnants of snow melting with the recent rain, William and Julia seized the opportunity to take a stroll outside arm in arm, on a bright, sunny day even if the weather was still quite chilly. An early snow had initially meant cozy, romantic evenings in the hotel suite with her husband, but after several months, Julia was ready to escape their luxurious confines and embrace the relative warmer temperatures.

"All things in moderation," she told her husband, with a bright smile on her face.

"Indeed, today's weather is a nice break from the harsh winter. Perhaps we'll have an early spring yet," he concurred with a smile, expertly reading her mind.

Laying her head on his shoulder, and snuggling into him, she contentedly sighed. She'd once been concerned that her and William would eventually drift apart in their separate lives, eventually sharing only a bed with one another-just as many of the couples she'd known (including her parents) had done; the love and passion of the courtship and early days of marriage gone. However, quite the opposite had happened, and she found that physical intimacy had actually intensified their pleasure in their mutual interests. Thus, she and William still immensely enjoyed one another's company including the hard won right to enjoy one another's bodies. Ultimately, her fears that the romance would fade as she had feared were quite unfounded.

As they sidestepped puddles along the path, Julia also contemplated how relieved she was that marriage hadn't changed their habit of discussing their work, current events, or an interesting article they'd recently come across in their reading. In their various readings or experiences, if something was of particular interest to one of them, they would often ask the other to read the periodical in question so that they could discuss it with one another.

That afternoon, they discussed an article from William's December issue of _Popular Science_ by David Starr Jordan, president of Leland Stanford Junior University in Palo Alto, California. Jordan had stated that higher education for women ought to be the ultimate goal for both all men and women desirous of such.

"Well, I suspect we're in agreement here, but being the beneficiary of such an education myself, I agree that such a goal for all who want such a thing is quite worthy," Julia replied in response to her husband's question on what her thoughts were.

Not surprisingly, William concurred. "Access to education should be based on aptitude and desire rather than gender and the family's ability to pay for it," he added.

Stopping to cup his cheek with her gloved hand, Julia stroked his face. "Yes, William, I know why you believe such a thing, and I agree with that statement as well. Perhaps there will be a more formalized system for gaining assistance in funding an education in the future," she added.

"Perhaps. While I was disappointed in the past that I did not have the opportunity to attend university, I think I have more than made up for that with self-study, and if I had furthered my education, I would have chosen another vocation, and perhaps missed the opportunity to make your acquaintance. I cannot complain with the outcome of this situation," William replied with a shy smile.

Not for the first time, Julia lamented the fact that her brilliant husband had been denied such an opportunity, but university education or not, her husband was still one of the most intelligent, well-read men she knew, and the lack of a piece of paper did nothing to change that. She would take William as he was any day over some pompous professor. She decided to tell him as such, and was rewarded with an intense kiss that she had not anticipated.

Remembering where they were, William blushed and they broke apart, resuming their walk but silently letting her know with his eyes that she could expect more of that later. Julia's insides tingled.

"So, while we agree with Mr. Jordan in that women should receive a higher education, something tells me that you didn't agree with all of his points," William commented with a wry smile.

"No, I did not. I don't believe that I lack 'originality', or that the 'motor side' of my mind is not developed. I also believe that there is value in educating a woman that goes beyond her being able to be a better mother to her sons if she is well-educated," Julia argued, her voice rising in anger.

"Ah, so it seems that you do not agree with the four K's being the only concerns of a proper woman then," William asked with a smile: " 'Kirche, Kinder, Küchen und Kleider,' " he teased her, knowing full well what her answer would be.

"Ah yes, Kaiser Wilhelm, how could I forget. 'Church, Children, Kitchen, and Clothes'. Of course that's all that my feeble brain could ever be interested in or the brain of any other woman for that matter. William, surely you don't agree?" she asked.

"No, Julia. I would be an emphatic fool to ignore the evidence in front of me. The example of my lovely wife, who is most original and whose motor skills are quite developed seems to contradict Mr. Jordan," William replied with a laugh. "At least Mr. Jordan thinks that women should be educated with men, and that it's not hurtful to either sex and actually beneficial. He also states that separate annexes for women at universities will ultimately never work, and that co-education is the way for the future."

"What about you William. You had a single sex education, do you think that was superior, or would you have benefitted from interacting with females?"

"I had an excellent education, Julia. More than I had any entitlement to, or even a right to expect. But I think I would have benefitted from interacting more with girls my age, and as you may have noticed in your own experience, I'm not always particularly at ease with women. But there's no doubt in my mind, I want our son and our daughter to receive an equal education in equal facilities and have equal opportunities. I want them to be educated in the same environment and choose vocations that are of interest to them," William replied, stopping to turn to her and taking her hands in his, shy smile on his face.

Sighing, Julia looked down at the ground and kicked a rock in the path with her boot. Children were never far from any of their items of discussion it these days it seemed, and today was certainly no exception. Squeezing his hand in response, she stroked his cheek and kissed him, hoping to distract him enough to change the topic.

It seems that she was successful; or at least she'd been for now, as he segued into another article he'd read about the mental and moral heredity of the Spanish monarchy and how inbreeding amongst European royalty was perhaps responsible for many of the civil wars between the Spanish ruling elite before unification occurred between the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile with the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella in 1469.

Laughing to herself, Julia marveled at how her husband could be so well versed in matters mathematic, scientific, historic, and cultural. University degree or not, Julia doubted that there was any professor who was as well rounded as her brilliant man. As she snuggled back into him, she was thankful that this wonderful man was at last her husband at long last.

After all they had been through together, they had earned a long life of happiness together. Or so she thought.

* * *

Note: Leland Stanford Junior University is better known as Stanford University today (yes, that Stanford), and the article "The Higher Education of Women" was written by the then President of the university. This article, along with "Mental and Moral Heredity in Royalty V" were genuine articles in the December 1902 issue of Popular Science. I feel that both Julia and William would have read such a publication and even discussed them as they did here.


	2. Chapter 2

On the following afternoon, Julia sat in her office busy with annotating various files while a new ragtime record played on her phonograph. Rounds completed and patients treated, her workday was largely done and now she just sat in her office as she waited for the end of her shift.

Lost in thought, and tapping her foot to the ragged time of the music, she stared out the window, contemplating taking William to one of the new nightclubs downtown that featured the scandalous music, reveling in his state of discomfiture before getting him to relax. Emily had told her of such exciting places and now she longed to go with her husband; she wanted to dance closely with him somewhere outside their home under the disapproving glances of others and drink Manhattan cocktails, reveling in being with the man she loved in public while misbehaving most inappropriately with him!

Of course, she'd have to get him to loosen his tie and relax, something he didn't always do particularly well. She loved her husband dearly, but sometimes his propriety (something she did adore about him) made him a bit of a stick in the mud, and at times, she just wanted to have some silly, meritless fun with him. He'd frolicked with abandon with her at the lake that one time, and of course there was the experiment with the green muse all those years ago when his behavior had been hedonistic, but he'd also had a fair bit to drink that evening. Perhaps she'd forego her longstanding practice to not pressure him into drinking and get him to trip the light fantastic with her just one night.

While she knew that she could convince him to do so, she wasn't sure if she felt comfortable with pressuring him to imbibe. She knew and respected his reasons for abstinence, but all of this was assuming that she could even convince him to have an evening out, just the two of them. They hadn't really done it much since the wedding almost a year ago, and to complicate matters, their relationship had become a bit strained of late.

They were still quite happy with one another (as evidenced by yesterday's outing), and were still enjoying one another quite often in a physical sense, but as their first wedding anniversary approached, William's desire for a child had magnified tenfold, and had proven to be a source of tension for them despite their claims to the contrary.

He'd already made it clear to her that he was ready to adopt a child, his preference to become a father while he was still young enough to enjoy and have a meaningful relationship with their son or daughter well emphasized, and Julia acknowledged that William was at an age where he was quickly running out of opportunities to further delay that event. To be honest, Julia didn't want a geriatric father for her child either, and agreed that his reasoning was sound and logical.

Nonetheless, she was undoubtedly the one postponing children for reasons that were anything but sound and logical. William, to his credit, was doing his best to respect her preference; incredible when she knew his time for being the father he wanted to be was ticking away ever more rapidly with each passing week. When the topic did come up for serious discussion, she always informed him that she wasn't yet ready for the demands on her time that an infant would make, and William agreed that it would be a far more significant impact on her life than it would be to his (though he did promise to help however he could).

But that excuse wasn't entirely true. Yes, her life would undoubtedly be turned upside down, but that's not why she was dragging her feet. It was true that she wasn't sure she was ready for the havoc a baby would bring to her and William's lives, plus she had also just won the right to openly love her husband, and wanted to enjoy him for her own selfish reasons for a bit longer. There would be no opportunity to drag William off to a ragtime club with her if a child were in their lives; at least not if they were going to parent the child properly. If they didn't intend on being proper parents, then what the point of being parents to just rescue a child from an orphanage only to constantly leave it in the care of a nanny?

But if she were completely honest with herself, there was another reason at play. She kept delaying the decision to go to the orphanage and choose an infant to bring home because she was hoping that she would miraculously become pregnant herself, and she wanted to be the one to present a child to William. He may have decided that he could accept and love an adopted child, but she had to admit that she had done no such thing as of yet. The selfish part of her didn't want just any child-she wanted a child made in love with the man she loved. So, she delayed and made excuses, afraid that William would talk her out of her preference if she ever gave voice to them-even while fully acknowledging such a preference was folly.

She knew full well such a thing was fully impossible, but still, Julia held out for a miracle. If God existed, William was undoubtedly his star pupil, and surely God would come through for him, even if God would never do as much for her.

Hence one of the myriad of reasons she didn't really talk to God anymore. But that was beside the point.

Deep in thought, she didn't hear the visitor enter her office, and after a few moments she was brought out of her musings when she heard a man clear his throat behind her.

Turning around, she expected to see an orderly or nurse with a question about one of her patients, or even a colleague, wanting to discuss any number of topics related to their field, and was quite shocked to discover that her visitor was none other than her erstwhile abductor: Terrence Meyers.


	3. Chapter 3

Seeing that it was Terrence Meyers, Julia abruptly stood up and made her way to the door, becoming quite alarmed in the process and glancing out at the ward to see if anyone could come to her aid. The last time she'd seen the man, he'd abducted and used her as collateral to make William talk to him.

"Relax, Dr. Ogden. I won't be taking you anywhere against your will this afternoon, I assure you. As you can see, I've chosen broad daylight and a quasi-public setting for this meeting entirely so that you have nothing to fear. May we talk?"

Sighing, in resignation, Julia relaxed and gestured to her sofa and took a seat in her chair across from it.

"Going to analyze me like a patient, are you?" Meyers asked with a smile as he seated himself.

"That depends, Mr. Meyers. Are you in need of psychoanalysis?" Julia questioned him.

"While I'm sure there are many who say that I am, I'm not looking for such things today, Doctor. For psychoanalysis to truly be effective, I'd have to divulge sensitive matters of national security, and to be honest, I'm not sure Detective Murdoch would care for me telling such things to his wife, even in a professional capacity," Meyers answered with a short laugh.

"Well, business it is then, Mr. Meyers. Is my husband not accepting your calls again? Do you need me to pass along a message?" she asked tartly.

"No, after last time, I don't think I'll ever have difficulty getting Detective Murdoch to speak to me again. However, I assure you-I will not be abducting you again either," he replied with both hands up as a peace gesture of sorts. "No, this time it's your professional expertise I need-but not for myself," he clarified, taking a cigar out of his breast pocket.

"Not in here, Mr. Meyers," Julia warned.

"Apologies, Doctor. Not very polite of me, I'm afraid," he acquiesced, slipping the expensive tobacco back into his pocket.

"Why are you here, Mr. Meyers, if not to use me as a conduit for contacting my husband," Julia asked.

"Straight and to the point as always, Dr. Ogden. I must admit, I still don't see how a quiet man like Murdoch fell for such a pistol as yourself," Meyers said with a laugh.

But before she could chastise him for any more inappropriate comments, he got to the reason for his visit. "Dr. Ogden, there is a brothel in Cabbagetown, and I would like you to examine the house's inhabitants to ensure that they are healthy and are well taken care of, if you catch my gist. I know you practice psychiatry now, but I also know that you've been concerned about the welfare of less fortunate women in the past, and I was hoping that you would take such an interest once again," he continued.

Julia snorted. "I suppose you'd like me to assume that your motives are entirely altruistic and that you took time out of your busy schedule to ask me to examine prostitutes for no particular reason," she asked with an eyebrow arched-something she'd unwittingly picked up from her husband.

Meyers commented as such, "My, Dr. Ogden, your husband's influence is quite strong on you. You've even assumed his mannerisms," he observed with a laugh before ceding her point.

"No, while I don't care to see ladies being mistreated, I do indeed, as you say, have ulterior motives. The brothel in question is frequented by foreign types who might be plotting to overthrow the government, and we could do with someone reporting their findings back to us," he answered while fiddling with the brim of his top hat.

"Let me get this straight, Mr. Meyers, you would like for me to spy for you? Surely there are others more suited to this line of work than I am?" Julia asked.

"No, Dr. Ogden, that's just it, there are not. As a woman and a doctor, you'll easily gain access to the inner sanctum and workings of the brothel, a place a man's presence would never be fully welcomed. You'll also be able to gain their confidence far easier as well," Meyers explained.

"How do you suppose I do that?" Julia asked. "I'm just going to waltz right up these foreign operatives and ask them to tell me what they're doing?" she asked incredulously.

"No, not at all. Just talk to the ladies, glean what you can from them, and report your findings to me. I'll have other agents following the activities of the foreign agents" he reassured her.

Julia exhaled in exasperation. She didn't want to do this, but she couldn't in good conscience refuse the request, not because she was doing it for Meyers per se, but because she felt the obligation to help other women who weren't as fortunate as she.

Additionally, she was also a bit nervous what might happen if she refused.

"All right, Mr. Meyers. I'll do it because I want to help the women, not because I'm doing you a favor or anything of the sort" Julia replied resignedly. "Will they be expecting me, or will I announce myself?"

"Excellent, Mrs. Murdoch…err I'm sorry, Dr. Ogden," Meyers corrected himself with a grimace and a wave of his hand, as though he were shooing the mistake away. "Your country thanks you for your service. Will Tuesday and Thursday afternoons be acceptable for your schedule? And yes, they will be expecting you. I'll have Dr. Charles Sheard from the Medical Health Office contact them and let them know that the women need to be examined in the interests of public health and safety."

"Yes, Mr. Meyers, those afternoons will be fine. Now if you'll excuse me, my husband will be expecting me home shortly and if I'm not home promptly, or otherwise let him know that I won't be home on time, he becomes quite concerned quite quickly. But, I'm sure you already knew that." Julia acidly retorted, reminding the mysterious and strange man of their last acquaintance.

Meyers merely smirked in response to her last comment, and nodded his head in acknowledgement.

Oddly enough, Julia didn't take kindly to being abducted and held captive, and while the man had treated her well, it didn't change the fact that he caused her and her husband unnecessary worry. Glancing at the clock on her desk, she knew she had to leave soon or else William truly would become concerned. Julia chafed at this restriction placed on her independence, but she understood why William insisted on being immediately notified if she were not going to be on time; he'd made more than a few enemies in his line of work and their tendency to seek revenge upon him via her was a very real concern. It had nothing to do with him trying to control her, but rather him being reassured of her safety and wellbeing. To be fair, Julia demanded the same courtesy from him, as he too had gone missing previously.

"One more thing, Dr. Ogden. It is of the utmost importance that your husband not be aware of your activities," Meyers asked. "He would not take too kindly to his wife working for me, and it could make other things rather difficult."

"Mr. Meyers, I do not keep secrets from my husband, nor does he keep them from me. Our marriage, which is none of your business, is a modern partnership, and we are equals, and we do not hide things from one another. This will be no exception," Julia stated, her rising temper evident beneath her calm demeanor.

"Are you sure about that, Dr. Ogden? Your husband would allow you to perform this job for me without reservation? You truly have no secrets from one another?" Meyers asked with a smirk on his face before continuing. "I had hoped not to resort to this, but is Detective Murdoch aware of the pregnancy you terminated in university? Or is he aware that the father of your aborted child is now a prominent politician and physician in Ottawa who may not take kindly to having his past transgressions brought to light?" he countered, watching her face turn white with the stunning revelation just as he had hoped.

He waited a few moments to allow his bombshell to sink in before continuing. "Even if your husband does know, Dr. Ogden, what would his Constabulary superiors say to such an episode? Would they be willing to overlook the fact that their former pathologist and the wife of one of their best detectives had undertaken such illegal and despicable activities?" he asked with his own raised eyebrow in countenance.

Julia gasped in surprise at the threat, and standing up, she walked over to the window at which she had so peacefully been staring out of just a short while ago. She felt sick to her stomach as her past, which she thought, was firmly behind her came rushing back in a torrent. Someone outside her trusted circle knew her deepest, darkest secret, and she wondered who else knew of it? She had thought only Ruby, William, Isaac, and the bastard who did the hack job on her had known of that event, but how did Meyers gain knowledge of it? With a flash of insight, she remembered that he had previously known of her occasional indulgence in cigars and whiskey, and she wondered what else he knew and how much.

Despite the fact that the man was well bred, he certainly wasn't a gentleman, that much was certain. Opening her mouth to deny the claims, Meyers interrupted her.

"Don't bother denying your sordid story, Dr. Ogden. The so-called doctor who performed your little operation kept records you probably didn't even know about, and used them as blackmail against his former patients. Your name was in there, and you undoubtedly would have been a victim, but it just so happens that a high-ranking official's daughter also used his services, and he targeted her first, and she had to come clean to her father, who contacted us for our assistance. We took care of the problem for all the ladies involved, but the records were undoubtedly of interest to us as well," Meyers stated.

"So you kept them and decided to do a little blackmail of your own? Not for money, but for mine and who knows who else's unwilling services?" Julia spat.

"Unfortunately, a little blackmail must sometimes be employed in my vocation. It's not a particularly pleasant aspect of my job, but these things must sometimes be done," Meyers explained with a shrug. "Dr. Ogden, I assure you, I respect your talents and accomplishments as well as those of your husband. You're both far too useful to me to seek your destruction so insouciantly, and I would not threaten as such without just cause. It is imperative that your husband not be aware that you are working for me, not only because I know he would not approve, but for other reasons as well. You must give me your word, Dr. Ogden, and your secret shall remain safe with me."

Glaring at him with narrowed eyes and pure hatred, she acquiesced to his demands. "Very well, Mr. Meyers, you have won for now. Please give me the address of this brothel and I will be there starting tomorrow afternoon at 3:00."

"Thank you, Dr. Ogden," he announced, standing up and placing his hat back upon his head. "Once again, your country thanks you for your service."

Julia snorted again as he left. Grabbing her coat and hat, she tersely called for a carriage and hurriedly left for the evening in a stormy rage. She wasn't she if she wanted to scream, yell, or cry, but she wanted to wait until she was in the safety of her carriage before she lost what little composure she had left.

More than anything she wanted to let the past be past, and live her life without the specter of old ghosts haunting her continuously. No doubt that she'd made some grievous errors in her life, but she knew that she wasn't the only woman to have undergone an illegal abortion, or seek to get out of an unwanted marriage, yet she seemed to be destined to disproportionately pay for these sins as they were perceived to be by the men in charge.

Laughing bitterly to herself, she mused that despite her hard work, education, and good deeds, men she barely knew (if at all) still sought to control and dictate the terms of her life, never once contemplating how they would feel if women were to attempt to control them.

Climbing into the carriage, she used the journey to practice the breathing and calming techniques she often taught to her patients to bring her own flood of emotions under control. As the carriage neared the hotel, she steeled herself for not telling William about her visit with Meyers and what he had asked of her as well as his threat to expose her past.

She hadn't kept any secrets from William since they had both come clean to one another following that glorious New Year's Eve they reunited and she dreaded the thought of renewing that practice.

But Meyers was right, William would not take kindly to the man having not only visited her at the asylum, but that he had blackmailed her as well. She hoped that her stint at the brothel would be short, and that she could soon cease her double life.

Walking into the front door to their suite, Julia found William waiting for her on the sofa, reading the evening paper. Seeing her walk in, Julia couldn't help but notice the relief that crossed his face as he saw her. Glancing at the clock, she saw that she was fifteen minutes later than her usual time.

"Good Evening, Mrs. Murdoch. Difficult day at the asylum?" he asked, taking her coat as she unpinned her hat.

"Very long and tedious, Mr. Murdoch," she replied, wrapping her arms around him, reveling in his scent as she buried her face in his neck seeking the comfort that only his presence could provide

Taking her face in his hands, he traced her jaw with his thumbs, looking deep into her eyes.

"Perhaps I can help you forget your troubles?" he murmured.

"Oh, William, be a gentleman and please do, won't you?" she whispered back.

As he unbuttoned her blouse, she knew that distracting William would be the only way to keep him from guessing that something was troubling her and she hoped that he would be so consumed by a perplexing case as to not notice that she was troubled. Not for the first time, she hoped this was over soon.

As soon as her skirt joined her blouse on the floor, and William picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, Julia knew she had managed to avoid any discussion of what was troubling her for the rest of the night.

For all his complexities and idiosyncrasies, William Murdoch was still a red blooded male and quite distractible as such.

* * *

Dr. Charles Sheard was indeed one of the early Chief Medical Officers of Toronto who went on to become a member of Parliament.


	4. Chapter 4

Dreading what was coming up that afternoon, her shift at the asylum passed by as slowly as molasses in January, the apprehension only growing with each passing minute. But in the early afternoon, she went to the appointed place at the appointed time: an unmarked entrance off of an alley undoubtedly used by so-called "gentlemen" wishing to avoid identification. It was just as well, as she didn't particularly relish the thought of being seen entering such a place herself. Not that she cared about what remained of her tarnished reputation, but word might find itself back to William.

True to Mr. Meyers' word, they were indeed expecting her and the maid quickly ushered her in through a dark, minimally furnished hallway covered only with various benign still life paintings and gilt mirrors for checking one's appearance as Julia did.

But she didn't have long to inspect the entry further, as she was quickly escorted into the parlor, a room that couldn't have been more different from the foyer. The contrast between the two spaces was overwhelming and quite the onslaught to her senses as she reeled to take it all in.

The parlor was an ornately decorated room where the strong aroma of fine brandies and scotches intermingled with Cuban cigars that testified to the privileged men who were catered to at this establishment. Sapphire curtains in plush, rich velvet bedecked with dark blue silk tassels and tiebacks that would undoubtedly be luxurious to the touch covered the windows from oblivious passerby on the street.

Chippendale reproduction couches and armchairs in various jewel toned brocades, augmented with silk pillows embroidered with oriental motifs and accompanied by fine Turkish rugs that gave the room an opulent air.

Also along the dove gray walls were reproductions of famous nudes such as Manet's Olympia and even Rembrandt's Bathsheba. For a brief moment Julia wondered if it was one of the copies perpetrated by Sally Pendrick before she remembered herself.

No doubt this was where various clients could be entertained upon their arrival and guided through the process of selecting a companion for the evening. Waiting for her on one of the couches was an attractive, well coiffed and well-dressed woman. Julia guessed that she had to be the madam, and she was correct.

She immediately stood and introduced herself as Madame Elise Beauregard, the "hostess", a striking woman approximately in her forties with black hair and flashing green eyes that belied a warm demeanor in spite of her vocation. She may have been friendly, but Julia immediately recognized a savvy intelligence that had helped her make her own way in the world.

After a few minutes of polite chat, Julia stated what she was there to do.

"As I'm sure you're already aware, Madame Beauregard, I'm here at the request of the Department of Health, as there's been a complaint filed. I'll need to see the women, and make sure they're healthy and free of diseases. I'll also need to speak with them and make sure that they're here of their own free will, and are satisfied with the arrangement," Julia explained.

"Of course, Dr. Ogden. We have no secrets here at The Garden, and all girls here may come and go as they please. I also employ other physicians who come here routinely to inspect my girls, as a pleasant demeanor and cleanliness are hallmarks of a fine house, so please forgive me when I tell you that I don't know where such a complaint came from and I will do whatever it takes to clear my fine establishment's name," the woman assured her.

"I'm sure that's the case, Madame Beauregard. I give you my word that I'll be fair," Julia explained.

"I must say that I am both surprised and impressed that the Health Department sent a lady doctor. Of course, that's why they must have chosen you; you'll do a far more thorough investigation than any man ever could," Madame Beauregard admitted, appraising Julia up and down with an eye well trained for gauging people.

Julia just hoped that she wouldn't see through her ruse, and that she could finish the job well enough to satisfy Meyers and resume her normal life.

Thinking quickly on her feet, Julia decided that partial truth was the best tactic here. "I may be a lady doctor, but I also have a history in working with the less fortunate in this city and I've also been arrested for teaching about birth control methods. Make of that what you will, Madame Beauregard," Julia replied matter of fact.

The woman laughed in response. "I must concede, I would never have taken you for one who instructed in French Letters."

"Well, it seems we are both surprised today," Julia responded.

Acknowledging the comment with a nod, Madame Beauregard stood and motioned for Julia to follow her to the main entertaining area of the house.

Unlike most "proper" ladies, Julia had been to a few brothels in her former vocation as a pathologist, and most houses of ill repute tended towards the opulently gaudy as Ettie Weston's Music Academy had been, or dingy waiting rooms steeped in squalor that testified to the desperation of all involved in the more distressed of locales. Given its location, Julia expected the latter, and was therefore all the more stunned that it was truly one of the most opulent places she had ever been.

The main room was large, festooned with deep emerald silk brocade curtains bedecked with gold tassels, alongside sumptuous tapestries. In the front of the room was a small stage, and scattered throughout the floor were mahogany and rosewood tables with well-appointed chairs alongside them. Lastly, but certainly not least was the centerpiece of it all: a red velvet swing adorned with garlands of flowers that hung from the high ceiling. The ropes were long, no doubt ensuing that those who sat beneath it could peer up and glimpse beneath a lady's skirts as she sailed across the room. That is of course, assuming that she even wore skirts, as Julia imagined that brevity was a key feature of the costumes exhibited here.

In truth, she had never seen anything like it, and wondered if she actually knew anyone who might patronize such an establishment, and decided that she probably did. There was no doubt that such surroundings spoke of wealth and power, and if Meyers' foreign agents were in Toronto as he believed, this would certainly be the sort of place they would congregate.

Her amazement must have been quite evident as she caught the smirk on the older lady's face, "I imagine a lady like you has never been in a place like this, have you?" she asked with a laugh.

"Well, I have been in such an establishment before, but none quite like this. Given the surroundings outside, I would never have thought that this was here," Julia admitted.

"Well, Dr. Ogden, that is completely the point. We don't want just anyone knowing about our club-it's for the finest gentlemen only, and we aim to keep it that way." Elise Beauregard replied. "We have high standards here, and take the health of our girls seriously. I don't know who filed the complaint, but we will happily work with the health department to demonstrate that we are above board, and that this whole matter is a mistake."

"I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding, Madame Beauregard. I assure you that I will be fair and discreet-my only concern is the safety and welfare of the women here," Julia replied, taking a glance around at the overwhelming surroundings. "I must admit, I've never seen anything quite like this before. It really is quite astonishing."

"Well then, perhaps you would like to stay and observe the show sometime. That way you can be absolutely assured that our girls are happy and well treated," the woman replied with a smile.

"I believe I might enjoy that. Perhaps soon, I can view the spectacle that this indeed is," Julia replied with a smile of her own.

Despite the differences in their class, education, and occupations, Julia had a growing admiration for the woman, and felt that she may even be a kindred spirit, seeking freedom and happiness on her own terms and caring little for society's restrictions. Mission related needs aside, Julia found herself hoping that she could get to know the woman better, as she had always been intrigued by enterprising women as well as the exotic entertainments assuredly on offer here.

Of course, if it gave her more information to report back to Mr. Meyers, then all the better.

With a nod of her head upstairs to the bedrooms, Julia followed the woman to the inner sanctum, eager to complete the examinations and get home before William had even left the stationhouse.

Julia completed her interviews with half of the girls in their boudoirs that were just as extravagant the areas downstairs. It frankly was a bit too much to take in and Julia found herself closing her eyes just to give herself a break at times. But after a couple of hours, she had inspected half of the girls and had found, just as Madame Beauregard had assured her, nothing to suggest that the girls were sick or were maltreated in any way.

She even said as much to the woman as she gathered her things and made her way to leave once they were back downstairs.

"I do appreciate your professionalism, Dr. Ogden. I must admit, I was expecting a lecherous sort to come here, and I was all the more surprised -pleasantly so- when I found out that Dr. Ogden was in fact, a woman," Madame Beauregard admitted.

"It seems that we must attempt to know one another better then, Madame. Please, call me Julia," she instructed. Perhaps it was a bit presumptuous of her, and to be honest, there was no way the woman could refuse her request without being rude, but if she wanted to gain the trust of this woman and her ladies quickly, Julia needed to dispense with the formality sooner rather than later.

"Well then, Julia, I must insist that you call me Elise," the woman replied with a crooked smile.

Pleased that the ice had at least been partially thawed if not broken, Julia bid her hostess adieu.

The afternoon had gone much better than she thought, and rather than dread her next visit, she was intrigued and found herself looking forward to learning more about what transpired at this exclusive club.

For a brief moment, she felt a pang of guilt at not telling William of her whereabouts, but she quickly assured herself that it wasn't lying so much as not being entirely forthcoming. She had left out details of her day before, and there was no doubt that William had as well. This time would be no different she convinced herself as she settled into her carriage that had been called for her and set back out for The Windsor House Hotel.

* * *

Ever since I found out that the real life events of Stanford White and Evelyn Nesbit occurred at roughly the same time as Murdoch Mysteries, I'd been wanting to write a fic that involved the infamous red velvet swing. The events that transpired surrounding this case are truly scandalous and worthy of your time if Gilded Age debauchery and scandal are things of interest to you-just Google Evelyn Nesbit and or "The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing".


	5. Chapter 5

Late February had given way to early March, and William Murdoch hoped that he had seen the last of the long winter that had begun with George's arrest for a crime he didn't commit, which had eventually bled into months of being cooped up indoors. While it had undoubtedly been nice to spend the cold months enjoying his new bride in the privacy of their luxurious hotel suite, he eventually longed to take his wheel out of doors once again and go for long rides.

Enjoying a momentary lull in criminal activity, he had seized an opportunity to tinker with some of his previous inventions in the hope of making them more useful to him in the future. At present, he was fine-tuning the pneumograph he'd developed so many years ago to detect when a suspect wasn't being entirely truthful. He had initially abandoned it after Higgins had used it on him to admit to feelings for Julia before he was ready, and hadn't thought about it much in the intervening years. Despite the fact that it had served to hoist him on his own petard in a manner of speaking, he still felt that it still had some merit and applicability in policing and had reassembled it to improve upon its workings.

However fascinating his invention was, his thoughts inevitably drifted back to the lady of his life, perhaps because he strongly associated the device with Julia and contemplated her odd behavior of late. While she claimed all was well, William suspected that it wasn't, and that she wasn't being entirely forthcoming and was quite likely hiding something.

William looked at the pneumograph and laughed, was his subconscious trying to tell him that Julia was being less than honest and that he might want to use the device on her to get to what was bothering her?

Throwing his tool down onto his workbench, he stalked back over to his chair and sat down with a sigh. He'd never interrogated Julia as though she was a criminal, and he didn't want to start now. There had to be a legitimate reason as to why she wasn't forthcoming with him of late, and he wondered if it had anything to do with children, the one topic guaranteed to cause disharmony in their relationship. While she hadn't cited a particular reason, she'd made it clear to him that she was not ready to begin the adoption process.

Rubbing his face and pulling at the sudden constriction of his tie, he wondered not for the first time when she might be ready for children. He thought he'd made it clear to her that while he knew and understood they couldn't naturally have children, he still wanted to adopt with her, and couldn't understand her reticence. He was trying to be patient, but he wasn't getting any younger and he loathed the idea of being an old father, too tired to engage with his children.

He also didn't care for the gossip around the station house that hinted that perhaps Julia was practicing the birth control measures she'd once taught and that was why she hadn't yet become pregnant, or the scurrilous rumor that the marriage hadn't yet been consummated due to his overwhelming religiousness. Neither story was true (nor was it anyone's business), and he was stung that his constabulary brothers would even say such things about them.

But such was the fallen world they lived in.

Lost in contemplative thought for a while, William didn't notice the visitor in his office until his trademark cigar announced his presence.

"Terrence Meyers," William said with a grimace. "To what honor do we owe this pleasure?"

"Now, now, Detective Murdoch. Can't a man just pay a social call to his friends?" Meyers asked.

"Well, Mr. Meyers, I would say no if you're the friend in question. Friends do not abduct friend's wives and hold them against their will in secret locations," William panned.

"Fair point, detective. Then I'll get down to business then. I have a slight matter I need your assistance with, and it falls in your little domain here, might I discuss it with you and the Inspector?"

"I don't guess I have a choice, do I?" When Meyers merely smirked in response, William sighed and got up to motion Inspector Brackenreid over to his office as Meyers had already comfortably ensconced himself in William's office.

Waiting until Brackenreid had closed the door behind him, Meyers began to inform the men of his dilemma. "It seems that there may be foreign operatives operating here in Toronto planning an assassination. We're not exactly sure of the target or targets, but they appear to meet in the same gentleman's club and brothel almost every night and discuss their plans."

"And how exactly do we fit into this plan, Meyers? Want us to raid the place and shut it down?" Brackenreid asked.

"No, quite the opposite, actually. I want you to go to the club undercover as gentlemen there to watch the show and maybe even enjoy the services of the ladies afterwards. I want you to listen, find out what you can, and report back to me with what you've learned. Repeat as necessary," replied Meyers.

Murdoch looked at Brackenreid who shrugged in response while sporting a wide grin. William should have known what the Inspector's response would be; the man made no secret of his appreciation of beautiful women.

So did William for that matter, although he tried he best to hide it. He had always enjoyed looking at pretty ladies and while he had tried to fight the urge as best as he could as a single man, he had redoubled his efforts as a married man. Not only was it disrespectful to Julia for him to lust after other women, he was effectively being unfaithful to her in his mind, and the guilt would eat away at him.

Although he felt it was a losing battle, he tried one last time to get out of going. He'd rather spend his evenings with Julia.

"Aren't you worried about someone recognizing us, Mr. Meyers? There's no telling who might be at this performance," William wondered.

"I must admit it is a slight concern, but some moderate disguise combined with the low lighting and the simple fact that the men aren't there to look at you, and I think you should be just fine. Myself and a few other operatives will be there as well, but please do not make contact with us unless it is absolutely necessary," Meyers reassured him.

Sighing, he looked at Meyers and resigned himself to sin. No doubt his upcoming confessionals would be quite lengthy.

"Mr. Meyers, while I will not commit adultery for you, we will attend the show, and report back with what we find. Provided you cover our expenses, of course," William countered.

Meyers smiled, and took a long draw from his cigar. "Very good, gentlemen. Your country thanks you. Now, let me assign you your backstories."


	6. Chapter 6

Alone in her suite, Julia sat clad only in her nightgown, (not bothering with a peignoir at this late hour) to look outside at the view of the city. Lost in thought, she noticed very little of the scene displayed before her, and instead pondered the events of the past few weeks.

For several nights in a row now, William had worked late, or at least that's what he claimed. While he said that he was working a case that he was not at liberty to discuss with her, Julia couldn't help but notice the smell of tobacco on him, and wondered if he had truly been at work the whole time, or if he was indulging in some after work unwinding with the men. Not that she had a problem with it per se, but it seemed unlike her husband, and she was becoming increasingly concerned at his uncharacteristic behavior.

Julia didn't think William would have been the type to avoid coming home-particularly not so soon into their married life, but she couldn't help but wonder if he was starting to feel estranged from her over the issue of children or if her behavior over the past month had alienated him. Perhaps it had been a combination of both.

At this thought she couldn't help but laugh at out loud at her thinking! She was married to one truly remarkable detective-of course he'd noticed her strange behavior of late and her reticence at discussing children.

Every time it looked like he was about to ask her what was going on or delve into an emotionally weighty topic (his face always took on an air of nervousness when he did so), she immediately changed course and began seducing him, taking advantage of the fact that for all of his propriety and control, William was a passionate man and had appetites just as any man would. So far, her efforts had proven successful.

In other words, their relations were as mutually physically satisfying as they had always been, but she couldn't deny that they were undoubtedly missing the mental and emotional connections of previous encounters.

Sighing, she supposed that it was time that she come clean over her desire to take advantage of recent medical advances in fertility, as well as explore some of the more exotic methods, such as the ancient Chinese art of acupuncture, something she was starting to hear many positive things about.

But she wondered if he wouldn't just try to talk her out of it. That is, if they ever found the time to talk again. The weather was warming up, but they had yet to take advantage of the milder temperatures and venture on one of their Sunday afternoon strolls in weeks, and though she slept next to him every night, Julia missed her husband. While they were both busy, there was still something else separating them, and Julia knew that some of this was her fault at heeding Terrence Meyer's request to keep her visits to The Garden a secret from William.

To complicate matters further, she didn't know what use her findings were proving to Meyers, and she was quickly running out of pretense to be there. Yet Meyers pressed her to continue on and glean what information she could. Madame Elise Beauregard did indeed run a clean operation where the girls were healthy and well cared for and while many of them wanted to find wealthy husbands and move on, they were all there of their own free will, even if many of them came from less than ideal circumstances that had pushed them into such work.

* * *

The girls while they had become quite friendly and talkative, typically had little to offer in the way of useful information. It seems that their primary concerns and interests in the men who belonged to The Garden were those who were handsome, rich, charming, kind, fun, or ideally, a combination of all thereof.

While she dreaded the ongoing pretense surrounding the visits, she did at least enjoy the now customary drink with Madame Beauregard that took place at the end of each visit. It turns out Elise was born to a family of loggers in Quebec and ran away to the big city of Montreal when she was 14 to escape the isolated loneliness and drudgery of life in a logging camp.

Julia was surprised to find this and quite impressed at the boldness of such a young girl. She made it a point to say as much during one of the chats.

"Well, Julia, it wasn't so much fear of the unknown as it was the known. I knew I didn't want to be a logger's wife like my Ma, raising multiple mouths that she couldn't really afford, isolated from any civilization, and if I stayed around much longer, there's no doubt that's what would have happened. I'm sure my leaving was a relief to them, and I haven't really kept in touch with any of them. There's no point, really," she answered as she poured Julia another drink.

"You've really done quite well, Elise. This is quite a world away from a remote camp in a forest and while there are many who will say that this is a worse fate than the one that would have awaited you in Quebec, if you are happy and living the life you want, then I say it is quite admirable. A place such as this is quite the accomplishment for a runaway girl," Julia commented while taking a sip of her whiskey.

"Well, I didn't have the education that you had, but what school I did get I enjoyed, and I was a good student and learned as much as I could. I suppose I ran away when my parents wouldn't allow me to go to school anymore, saying that I had to help Ma out around the house and with the laundry she took in. I knew there was a whole world outside the camps and while I didn't have the brute strength that a man had, I had my own set of talents that I could employ to better my lot. I've made sacrifices, but I don't regret my decisions. I was fortunate enough to have a kind madam who took me in and educated me in the ways of men. I also learned from her that men, besides flattery, also want a show. I got the idea for this place after my patron took me to New Orleans and we attended shows with great spectacle," Elise added with a flourish of her glass.

Seizing her chance to glean more information in a different way, she set her glass down on the Rosewood table and leaned forward.

"And quite a show it is, Elise. I must admit, I'm quite intrigued and would love to have an opportunity to see it. Is that offer you made a few weeks ago still possible?" Julia asked with a glint in her eye.

"Not only is it possible, Julia. I insist. Do you have plans for tonight? I can arrange for you to watch unobserved from the wings. That way, your reputation will remain intact."

"I wouldn't worry about my reputation, Elise. I've already lost that, and as you might agree, found happiness," Julia said, raising her glass in a toast.

"I would indeed," Elise replied, raising her own glass in response.

"Are you sure your husband won't mind you staying out?" Elise asked.

"He's working late again. He won't be around to mind," Julia replied.

True to her word, Elise arranged for Julia to observe the spectacle from the wings unobserved and free from the male gaze. While Elise had to go to work, which entailed visiting the various tables and making sure her guests were comfortable as a proper hostess should, Julia watched the various songs, dances, and routines the girls performed. She found the bawdy songs quite funny, and the monologues with double innuendos entertaining, and not for the first time, rued the fact that such entertainments weren't available to women, as they would easily offend their delicate sensibilities.

Or so the logic went. Not that she agreed with it.

In addition, she was also quite taken with the exotic belly dancer from Middle East-much like William had purportedly enjoyed at his bachelor party according to rumor gleaned from the Station House 4 brethren. The dancer's gauzy pantalets revealed as much as they concealed and her top consisted of mere wisps of fabric that just covered her bosom, revealing her bare torso to all in attendance. Of course, while her costume was quite shocking, she also found that it worked in perfect harmony with her graceful undulations. She could see why William had been so taken with the dancer at his party, and not for the first time, Julia wondered about taking some lessons and having a costume of her own made-to surprise William of course. He'd never expect it from her, which of course, made her want to do it all the more.

She did enjoy shocking her oh so proper man.

However, for most of the men involved, one of the key highlights (at least as judged by the catcalls she heard) were the girls who would ever so often get on the swing and fly out over the tables, giving the men a peek of what was underneath.

Or as sometimes was the case, what was not underneath. As with the belly dancing costume, the flowing silks and gauzes worn by the girls and the hardly there undergarments were most intriguing in how they highlighted and showcased beautiful female flesh rather than hide it from the male gaze. Julia was quite taken with the underwear that had no legs-they covered the torso and the genitals, but left exposed their shapely legs. Julia was quite astounded at how the daring cami-knickers she had worn under her wedding gown to shock, scandalize, and excite her husband on their wedding night seemed downright demure in comparison. Undoubtedly, the undergarments were in a matter of speaking, quite brief. Julia wondered about obtaining some of these brief knickers for herself. If her petticoats and skirts already covered her legs, then what was the necessity of undergarments that did the same? Truth be told, she had always found the excess material bothersome, and was quite happy to learn that there were some viable alternatives.

Thus after the show had ended, and the girls had turned their personalized attentions towards the men, Julia took her opportunity to sneak out the back door after thanking Elise for the invigorating evening. She had truly enjoyed herself.

As she settled herself in the cab that would bring her home, Julia contemplated the evening. While she enjoyed herself immensely with the evening's entertainments, her view that hid her from male audience also prevented her from seeing anything of use in the crowd. She had to think of another way to glean information, which would mean finding a way to walk amongst the men themselves. But in doing so, she undoubtedly ran the risk of seeing someone she knew; one that would quite possibly expose her. But if she had a disguise, could she be so bold as to walk amongst the guests herself?


	7. Chapter 7

Once back at their suite and suddenly feeling adventurous, she hastily assembled what lingerie she had on hand to fashion into something quite shocking before William returned home. With a few quick alterations, she took the light pink silk and chiffon peignoir meant for her wedding night (not that she ever got a chance to wear it thanks to William's insistence that he undress her himself and ultimately, their lack of patience) which was considerably less than opaque, revealing more than it concealed. She had cut two long slits from the garment's hem to her thighs, exposing her legs as she walked about, and additionally, opted to wear nothing underneath it at all and wrapped it about her tightly, so her corsetless form would undoubtedly be upon display.

Opting to wear her hair down, she also made the final point of pairing her ensemble with the carnival mask she had worn at a charity masquerade ball a few months ago. Glancing at her reflection on the mirror, she was well pleased with her costume.

Just prior to midnight, as had been his recent custom, William walked in the door. Saying nothing, Julia let him drink in her appearance. Whatever thoughts and words in his head quickly vanished, as he stood there silently, yet eagerly taking her in.

Julia went to meet him at the door with a searing kiss, but before he could wrap his arms around her, or take charge in any way, she guided him to a chair where she quickly tied his wrists down with the silk scarves she had prepared earlier. She made sure to tie them in a way that he could easily escape them if he truly wanted, and after giving him a moment to test this for himself, she knew that he had realized this as well.

With him watching her every move, yet staying silent, Julia went to the drink cart and poured herself a glass of wine, standing in front of him, calmly sipping her drink while telling him about a fascinating case study of a man who asked his wife to bind and restrain him each evening while she attended to her nightly toilette. His restraints would prevent him from touching her, and this sweet torture would serve to arouse him, yet deny him his release. This denial of sexual release was a sexual proclivity in and of itself.

"But then, William, I should think that with all your long years of celibacy, sexual frustration would serve to arouse you as well. Is this not so?" she asked while twirling a lock of hair around her finger and looking at him as he debated to remain in his bonds, or to break free and have his way with her. She noted his clenched jaw.

Setting her glass down, she approached him and capturing his face with her hands, she teased him with kisses, feather light touches, and massaged him through his trousers until his self-control snapped and he escaped his bonds, to pounce upon her, having driven him into a frenzy just as she had hoped.

Gathering her in his arms, he strode purposefully to their bedroom and threw her onto the bed, the cool, crisp linen of the sheets a welcome feeling against her skin. Holding her head between his hands, he hungrily demanded her mouth when his hands moved to her own and pinned them above her head, taking one of the silk scarves and using it to tie her hands to the headboard.

Thrilled that he had lost control of himself for once just as she'd always wished he would, Julia moaned and happily acquiesced to his demands. Her last coherent thoughts were self-congratulatory at getting William to finally forget himself.

* * *

The next day in his office, William shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Not only was he quite exhausted from his rather late night, but his back was also quite stiff and it served as yet another reminder to him that he wasn't a young man anymore. However, he certainly didn't regret it, as it had simply been too long since he and Julia had enjoyed one another so vigorously and completely.

Upon reflection, William couldn't help but think that her actions were not unlike those of the ladies from The Garden where he now regrettably spent most of his evenings. The girls were undeniably beautiful and the show was unquestionably arousing, but William longed to be with Julia, and often times he imagined her performing for him in a private arrangement-not unlike she had done last night.

 _"How could she have possibly known what he'd been fantasizing about?"_ he thought to himself with a chuckle before acknowledging that it wasn't even the first time she'd read him like a book.

He knew that a part of him should be scandalized at how his wife had performed for him, but he simply wasn't. There was no point in denying how exciting it had been, and not only had he enjoyed the performance and her touch, but he also enjoyed how she'd been able to get him to lose control and forget his reservations; forget what was proper and for an all too gloriously short time, forget how he was supposed to behave and give in to his basest carnal desires.

When he'd met Julia so many years ago, he couldn't even conceive of abandoning himself to his desires, he had been too convinced that such things were far too sinful. But over the years, Julia had convinced him that there was nothing wrong with the dark places of his mind-provided that they didn't involve hurting anyone, and they most assuredly did not. She was far too precious to him to ever consider such a thing-her pleasure and happiness were utmost in his mind and his key responsibility in their marriage.

Thus, her assurances late last night and early this morning had convinced him that his response was exactly what she had wanted, and he felt no guilt or remorse at how he'd behaved. Instead, he was well pleased that he had satisfied her so.

But that didn't mean that there weren't any concerns in their relationship. He still had the nagging worry that she was keeping something from him. Any recent attempts to discuss the matter had been thwarted with her seducing him, effectively ending any serious discussion between them. Where had his once strong self-control gone?

Sighing, he rubbed his temples and thought of all the evenings he'd spent away from her recently and the secret he was keeping from her. Did Julia know that he was spending his evenings in a glorified brothel? Did this concern her? Was she trying to emulate their services as a means to keep him with her? While last night excited him greatly, he was concerned that perhaps Julia was thought that he was being unfaithful to her, and he hated to think that she was worried that he was following in the steps of her first husband, or that she even thought him capable of straying.

But all he could do was tell Julia that he was working late. He wanted to come clean to her, tell her where he was spending his evenings and reassure her that she nothing to fear, but Meyers had sworn both him and the Inspector to secrecy, citing national security. He'd even made it a point to explicitly warn him not to tell Julia. There had been no threat, but as Meyers had already abducted Julia once, William feared what he might do next.

Sighing, he looked out over the bullpen and noticed an angry Margaret Brackenreid marching into her husband's office, and he grimaced. No doubt she was upset about the Inspector's prolonged absences from the family home and late hours recently, and William guessed that he was about to be forced to evade some very uncomfortable questions.

Certainly Julia didn't suspect him of being unfaithful? If that had been the case, he was certain she would throw heavy objects at him while shouting at him, but her behavior had been so strange, he wasn't sure. She was quiet and withdrawn, not her normal self, and again, William worried that his marriage was unraveling. But, he didn't know where to even mend it-not when she wasn't being entirely forthcoming to him about her own thoughts and feelings.

Hearing the angry shouts emanating from the Inspector's office, William winced in sympathy. Now that he was himself a married man, he knew the unpleasantness that resulted when all was not well with your wife, and given his own nearly identical situation, he knew that such a confrontation with his own wife was surely imminent.

 _"Still, better you than me, sir,"_ he thought with a sympathetic wince, watching the two argue with one another along with the rest of Station House No. 4 before seeing Mrs. Brackenreid throw a shirt at him and storm out of his office and ultimately the station just as abruptly as she'd entered.

Gathering his courage, he walked over to his superior's office. "Sir, shall I leave word with Mr. Meyers that we will be taking this evening off?" William asked.

Snorting, he nodded in agreement. "I have to start somewhere in explaining this," he replied while gesturing to a cosmetics' stain on his shirt collar. It seems that one of the girls had gotten a little too close and personal to the Inspector.

William nodded and announced that he'd be gone for a few minutes in an effort to repair any damage to his own relationship without ruining their investigation.

With a bitter laugh, the Inspector waved him on. He stopped only to make a brief phone call to Meyer's office to leave word that neither him nor Inspector Brackenreid would be attending the evening's entertainment at the club.

Hopping on his bike, it wasn't long before he found himself cycling towards the asylum. There was no doubt that he needed to talk to his wife, reassure her to the best of his current capabilities before maters escalated to the level of Mr. and Mrs. Brackenreid.

Arriving at his wife's office a few minutes later, he learned that she was presently meeting with a patient, and William resigned himself to lingering outside her office. While waiting for her, William overheard that no appointments for Dr. Ogden could be scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, as she was doing charity work. While pleased that his wife was still finding time for helping out others less fortunate, he was puzzled that he hadn't heard anything about this weekday commitment, and he knew it was a sign of the current state of the marriage-they weren't being as forthcoming as they typically were with one another.

As concerned as he was that Julia wasn't telling him things, he couldn't completely blame her-he was just as guilty of it. Deciding that a romantic evening was in order, the nurse arrived to tell him she was free.

Upon seeing her tired but lovely face, all concern left him save for the need to hold her. Closing the door behind him and making sure all curtains were drawn, he took her into his arms and guided her to the chaise longue on which he'd been psychoanalyzed more than once.

"Are you in need of some psychiatric advice, Detective?" she asked laughing as they tumbled back onto the cushions.

"Yes, I miss my wife fiercely, and I worry that she feels that I've been ignoring or neglecting her lately. As a woman to an admittedly clueless male, how might I make amends?" he asked guiding her head to his chest and burying his face in her hair.

"Well, Detective, you can begin by spending some time with her this evening," she replied laughing.

"Consider it done. I would suggest dinner at her favorite restaurant and perhaps a play, but given my exhaustion and perhaps hers as well, might she be amenable to a quiet evening at home?" he asked.

"I should think a quiet evening at home with just the two of you would be quite lovely. I can't see why she'd object." Julia answered.

"Wonderful," he murmured tracing her jaw with his finger before kissing her.

Entwined in one another's arms, they enjoyed a brief nap with one another. The explanations (at least as much as he could give anyway) and assurances (with every fiber of his being) would wait until later that evening William decided.

* * *

That evening at their suite, they enjoyed a quiet dinner and discussed the recent article on Preventative Medicine as explained by US Army physician and bacteriologist General George M. Sternberg as Julia's phonograph played Debussy's _Clair de Lune_ softly in the background.

Dinner plates cleared and the hotel staff gone, William led Julia to the couch, where he planned on explaining as much as he could to her in regards to their current circumstances. Kneeling in front of her as he took her hands in his, he began to speak what was on both his mind and his heart when the phone rang, interrupting them at a critical, important moment as had happened so many times before.

It was Jackson calling to request his immediate presence as a body had been found.


	8. Chapter 8

_"So much for fixing things with Julia,"_ William muttered to himself as propped his wheel up against the tree and walked towards the potential crime scene where George was waiting for him.

He'd wanted to finally get to the bottom of what was between him and Julia and reassure her that his feelings had not changed. He also wanted to make it clear that while it may seem suspicious where he was spending his evenings, he was doing so because it was required of him, and not because he wanted to be there.

He'd also wanted to find out what was truly bothering her, what she'd been hiding from him, but it seems that this needed talk wasn't meant to be. Sighing, he forced himself into a professional frame of mind and focused on the immediate matter at hand: a dead body in a park. Not the first he'd ever seen and certainly not the last.

"What have you, George," he asked as he approached the body, taking a moment to cross himself before kneeling down to inspect the body and surrounding area under one of the many trees.

"Victim's name is Ivan Kuznets, according to his identification. He's a businessman from St. Petersburg, and at present, staying at the Queen's Hotel. As you can see, he's quite dead, yet there's no visible sign of trauma," George informed him.

William couldn't immediately help but groan, and pinched the bridge of his nose as he recognized the man as a regular at The Garden. He had a very ominous feeling about who this man really was, and how he was killed.

Ivan Kuznets was the Russian equivalent of John Smith-a nameless name if there ever was one. Also, how many foreign businessmen are found dead without any visible sign of trauma? William hoped his instincts were wrong, but he suspected that he would be hearing from Terrence Meyers sooner rather than later.

"What about any of the trace evidence, George? Has it been compromised in any way?" William asked, looking primarily at the footprints at the base of the tree.

"Sir, I took impressions of the footprints surrounding the body-it appears to be two sets, and that the victim wasn't dragged, but carried here if I had to hazard a guess. I also didn't see anything else of evidentiary value," George replied.

William nodded as he pushed himself back up to a standing position. George had worked with him for so long, and knew him and his methods so well that he didn't question the man any more. If George said there was nothing else, then that was all there was to it.

"Have Constable Worsely arrange transport to have the body brought back to the morgue, George. But be sure to tell him and anyone else to be careful not to make skin contact with the victim in any way. Be sure they know to use protective measures. I'll inform Dr. Grace myself," he instructed, gesturing to the woman who had just arrived.

"Sir, you don't think the murder occurred here?" George asked puzzledly.

"No, this man was killed somewhere else and his body dumped here. I also suspect a poison, George, so it is of the utmost importance that no one make skin contact with the body until Dr. Grace has been able to determine if this is the case, and if so, which one was used. When you have instructed the others, please report back to me. You and I need to pay a visit to the Queen's Hotel," William ordered.

Nodding, George went off to apprise the others while William informed Dr. Grace of his suspicions.

"Doctor," William greeted her with an apologetic nod. "Sorry to call you out here so late, but I must warn you to take every precaution you can. I'm afraid I can't go into details, but I suspect this man has been poisoned and until we can verify the type of poison used, it's best to be careful," William cautioned.

"Understood, Detective. I'll begin first thing in the morning," she replied with a nod. Despite being close friends with his wife, Emily Grace had found it best to keep the vast majority of her interactions with Detective Murdoch businesslike. It was easier that way.

William waited for George while he instructed the men. Once he was done, they departed for the Queen's Hotel, hoping they wouldn't be too late to find anything of evidence in the man's room.

But he suspected that the man's room was already cleared of useful information if his suspicion that the man was a foreign operative was true. With a rueful glance at his watch, he and George rode their wheels to the Queen's Hotel in search of useful information.

Unfortunately, his hunch had been correct in that there really didn't seem to be anything of evidentiary value in the man's hotel room, save for three whiskey glasses which struck William as curious. Had the man had a drink with his killers? He had them collected and sent to the morgue in case the poison had been delivered via the whiskey.

* * *

As he strolled into the stationhouse ten minutes past the start of his duty day, Inspector Brackenreid, who had not been called out last night to investigate a murder, raised a quizzical eyebrow at him as he entered.

Wiliam glowered in response, daring his superior to comment upon his tardiness. He was in that kind of mood this morning.

Instead, Brackenreid smirked and motioned him into his office, where they closed the door.

"So, I hear that you didn't get to enjoy your evening off, you poor sod," he greeted William with a smirk.

"No, not at all. Were you able to soothe things over with Mrs. Brackenreid?" William cheekily asked in response.

"Somewhat. Instead of throwing me out all together or making me sleep on the porch as she threatened, I got to sleep on the couch. We'll get there eventually," the Yorkshireman surprisingly admitted with a grimace.

Perhaps the man felt comfortable divulging more to him now that he was a married man along with the marital advice that accompanied it-most of it the dubious sort.

I don't suppose your efforts were successful – seeing as you were interrupted and all," he asked William.

"No, sadly they were not. Didn't really get a chance to talk, sir. Our evening was interrupted just as it was getting started, I'm afraid," William surprisingly found himself admitting in return.

"Well, hopefully we can get Meyers the information he's looking for soon and you can resume your life. What about the body you found? Crabtree said you were very close-lipped about it. Is it connected to our nocturnal activities of late?" Brackenreid probed.

"Yes, sir. I recognize him from The Garden, all right. His identification says "Ivan Kuznets", but as I'm sure you're aware, I don't suspect that's his true identity. To be honest, I don't know that will ever know his real name, but I suspect that we're going to be hearing from Terrence Meyers quite soon as I have no doubt that word will travel fast. Hopefully, we recognize his so-called friends this evening, and ask about his last movements, and such. Still, we need to at least investigate the possibility of this crime not having to do anything with foreign powers, but as you and I need to remain undercover, I recommend Constable Crabtree take the investigation," William advised.

"Agreed. When do you think Meyers will make his way in? Care to make a friendly wager" he trailed off, smirking. The man in question was purposefully striding towards the office.

"Speak of the Devil, " Brackenreid greeted.

"Mr. Meyers, we've been expecting you," said William.

"I'm sure you were, gentlemen. I don't suppose it ever crossed your mind to contact me yourselves? It could have saved some time," he admonished.

"Oh, I don't know Mr. Meyers, you certainly always seem to be well-apprised of events without our assistance," William shot back.

"Regardless, gentlemen, I'm here now, and I need to know what you know," asked the spy.

"Not much more than you. I'm afraid," replied William and began his scant report.

* * *

With Meyers agreeing that Brackenreid and Murdoch should attend the club again that evening in the hopes of seeing the Mr. Kuznets' acquaintances, William steeled himself for another long night.

While George had done a fine job of investigating Mr. Kuznets final hours and companions, all evidence pointed back to The Garden, or led into the ether. Furthermore, Dr. Grace had just begun the post-mortem of the victim when officials from the Ministry of Defense had come by the morgue and taken Mr. Kuznets body while he and the Inspector had been away and unable to stop it. Of course it had been done in the name of national security.

But to be perfectly honest, William wasn't surprised the man's time couldn't be accounted for and he seriously began to doubt that he'd ever find much on the man; such was the whole point of being a spy

In fact, he'd known Meyers for years, but he still didn't know if the man was married, if he had children, and so on. William supposed this was by design, and seriously doubted that the man's real name was even Terrence Meyers. According to Mr. Meyers, that was how the spy game was played.

As evening fell on the city, William found himself in a carriage with the Inspector headed toward The Garden. While there were countless men who would jump at the chance to spend the evening in an exclusive Burlesque club and brothel featuring beautiful women all at government expense, William was not such a man.

After having planned to pose as businessmen from Boston at the club, the plan was quickly abandoned after it was decided that it was better to be their normal selves and be perceived as two gentlemen on the town after they recognized a few of the other patrons, including Chief Constable Davis.

The unspoken rules were don't ask, and don't tell, which William could certainly abide by. But he truly regretted that the other patrons who were acquainted with both himself and Julia would suspect that he was going out on her, and was more than aware how unfavorable it looked on Julia, as though she weren't "performing her role" to par, and poorly on him as well, that he would seemingly marry her for her wealth and proceed to spend it on women as though he were some sort of profligate.

Chief Constable Davis even made a point to mention this as they greeted him.

"Detective Murdoch, that's unfortunate that you haven't even been married a year, and your wife is already failing to hold your attention. At least her money helps with finding companions," he quipped to the snickers of his friends seated at his table.

It took all of William's self-control not to punch the dirty bastard's lights out then and there.

"Insufferable prick," Brackenreid muttered as they found their usual table. Settling into their plush, red velvet seats at their rosewood table, William looked at his pocket watch, " _not quite yet eight"_ he said to himself.

It was going to be a long evening.

* * *

Earlier that same day, Julia had completed her rounds at the asylum and was now en route to The Garden where she would assume her twice-weekly duties examining the girls.

Closing her eyes to enjoy the brief respite, she reflected on the events of last night. While she was disappointed that William had been called away and that they'd been denied their romantic evening, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief that she hadn't been forced to lie or at the very least lie through omission about her activities of late.

But there was no doubt that he was very suspicious of her recent activities, and Julia knew that she had to act fast. Her theatrical seduction of William the other night had been an experiment of sorts: to see if she could act the part of a performer. Of course she'd enjoyed making William forget himself and finally lose control, but she'd also found that she enjoyed the role of seductress she'd undertaken, and that she was quite comfortable in assuming such a persona.

Of course, it was one thing to role-play in front of your husband, but the exercise gave Julia the confidence to believe that she could undertake it in front of others as well. Thus, it was time to take the bold step of asking Elise if she could play the role of a hostess herself. That way, she could hopefully see things firsthand rather than rely upon the gossip of Elise's girls.

Much later that afternoon, when Julia had finished meeting with the girls and examining them, she had firmly decided that there was absolutely no reason to continue the visits. The house was clearly well run, and the girls were clearly well cared for. Her only attempt to gain useful knowledge for Mr. Meyers was to attempt to glean further information this evening in disguise (if Elise would allow it) and if this failed, tell Mr. Meyers that she had failed and deal with any consequences.

Having her post-examination drink with Elise, she told her hostess that there was no reason to continue the visits, and would be recommending that the name of The Garden be cleared from any suspicion of wrongdoing.

"Julia, I can't tell you how happy this makes me. I am so pleased that you gave us the opportunity to defend our good name. While I will miss our visits, I am sure that you have other things to occupy your time. I am most appreciative of your services, Doctor, and if there's ever anything I can do for you, I hope that you will not hesitate to let me know," Elise gushed.

With a sly smile, Julia set her drink down and began her most unusual and unorthodox request, "Well, actually there is one thing that you could perhaps help me with."


	9. Chapter 9

As was typical at the club, the evening began with the "hostess", Madame Elise walking from table to table, greeting her guests while informing them about new girls or what skits, songs and routines they could look forward to each night.

While there was little doubt what the main function of The Garden truly was, the proprietress made a true effort to differentiate her services from those of her competitors with entertainment. Undoubtedly, most performances were highly sexually suggestive in nature, but occasionally there was the odd monologue from Shakespeare-such as this evening's selection of Lady Macbeth's famed soliloquy from the Tragedy of Macbeth. The young woman's rendition wasn't half bad, but unlike the Inspector, William had never been a fan of the Bard from Stratford, though he was admittedly perhaps a bit too analytical for true appreciation of literature.

However, he certainly didn't mind reciting some of the man's Sonnets to Julia – the more suggestive the better, he mused to himself with a grin. Sighing, he shook his head to clear these thoughts. Even sitting in a glorified brothel watching burlesque with attractive and scantily dressed women while listening to music, his thoughts were never far from his wife. Not for the first time, he wondered what she was doing right at this moment, hoping that she wasn't concerned about him or what he was doing before he chided himself for losing focus once again. He was here on a job, and now he had to keep an eye out for Ivan Kuznets' possible murderers who may or may not be spies. The sooner he could catch the murderers and get Meyers the information he wanted, the sooner he could resume his normal life.

Sipping his ice water, he made it a point to observe the men of the room and their reactions to the evening's entertainments. Was there anyone who was not watching the show? He scanned the room, looking for anyone who didn't look like they were enjoying the show when a striking woman on the other side of the room caught his eye. She must have been new, as William didn't recognize her, yet there was something about her that was most intriguing as she moved about the room, briefly interacting with the various tables. She was tall and willowy, wearing a pale gray silk dress embroidered with violets that was styled after a kimono, and her long, curly, blonde hair was piled high upon her head in a knot. She wasn't as young or as buxom as the other girls, yet there was something oddly intriguing about her that he couldn't quite place about her. Her face was also obscured by a mask that covered her eyes and nose, which reminded William about the costume his wife had worn for him a few night's previous - an ensemble not unlike the image this woman presented to all.

If he had been interested in the services of prostitute this evening, this woman might have been a serious contender, William thought to himself as he observed her make her way around the room, interacting with the men. He didn't know who she was, but she was most intriguing, before he chastised himself that he was again being untrue to Julia with his thoughts.

Oh, was he ever going to have the confessional with Father Keegan when all was said and done.

Speaking of being untrue, the Inspector had become a bit more subdued in his appreciation of the ladies at The Garden. Whereas he had previously obviously enjoyed the exotic belly dances of Arabia as well as personal attention from more than one of the pretty, young ladies, often entertaining them while sitting in his lap, he was more distant and formal tonight, the ladies merely sitting next to him.

He hoped that the Inspector hadn't been untrue to Mrs. Brackenreid in the carnal sense (he'd seen no evidence of it, thankfully), but there was always the chance, he mused.

There was no doubt that Mrs. Brackenreid finding the lipstick stain on the collar of one of his shirts had probably curtailed this interest in the ladies' companionship.

Of course William had made it clear from the beginning that he wasn't interested. But that didn't mean that some of the young women didn't take that as a personal challenge to entice him to use their services. Oh, he would be lying if he said that they weren't attractive or that the mere thought of being with them didn't excite some base, primal part of his brain, but his knew in both his head and his heart, Julia was the only woman for him and therefore, he would never be interested in a meaningless substitute when the real thing was waiting for him at home

Paradoxically, he was soon distracted by a petite woman named Minnie, who performed a popular routine on the red velvet swing that involved her disrobing while swinging across the room. Small, buxom, and with auburn hair, she was in many ways the opposite of Julia – to whom he couldn't help but compare. He couldn't help but be mesmerized by her performance, and soon found himself wondering which article of clothing she would remove next. Though his heart and mind belonged to Julia without question, he couldn't help but be drawn to physical beauty on display like most men.

But this indiscretion didn't last long, because without realizing it, William then began to reminisce about the last evening he was with his wife and how wanton and exciting she'd been with him, tying him to a chair while she regaled him with a case study of a man's sexual proclivities while she'd teased him with an erotic ensemble of her own until he'd snapped and had his way with her – even tying her to the headboard as he'd boldly done! It was most unlike him to have done such a thing, but he'd done it, and not only had he thoroughly enjoyed it, Julia assured him that she had as well.

Unlike other men, William Murdoch fantasized about ravishing his wife while spending his evening in one of the cities finest houses of ill repute. But then, neither William nor Julia were most people.

* * *

After having made it clear that she had no interest in actually 'entertaining' any of the men, but rather, she just wanted to see what actually went on in a gentleman's club, Julia was ushered to Elise's room where she helped cinch Julia's corset as tight as it would go and she was loaned a silk evening dress that resembled something between a peignoir and a tea gown. It was a dark grey silk gown in the style of a Japanese kimono, cut low in the front (of course), long, flared sleeves lined with the same light blue silk that comprised the heavy silk obi sash wrapped tightly around her waist, while embroidered blue and violet irises covered the garment. There was no doubt that it was an incredibly decadent and sumptuous dress, and Julia wanted something similar for her own – with modifications, of course. Elise was a bit shorter than she was, she the dress wasn't quite long enough, and of course, Julia did not have the bosom to properly do the neckline its complete justice, but the gown was certainly most flattering on her in spite of all these things. With the exception of the décolletage and the long slit in the front that allowed a peek of her bare leg, the dress was rather modest in terms of skin exposed.

Yet the dress was one of the most revealing things she had ever worn (including the scandalous red dress that she had worn on that glorious New Year's Eve of 1899) that highlighted every aspect of her true form. With no chemise, petticoats, or even pantalets between her and the garment, it was the most exposed Julia had ever been to other people.

The times she had engaged in nude swimming and her visit to the nudist colony notwithstanding, of course.

In fact, one of the few parts of her person that remained unexposed was her face-this time donning a black silk mask adorned with feathers and beads that covered only her eyes. Given that she fully expected to know some of the men in this room, she could not chance being recognized lest it come back to harm William somehow.

Taking a last minute gulp of courage in the form of a stout glass of whiskey, Julia descended the stairs and contented herself to observe the events from the relative safety of the far corner of the room. A young woman reciting Lady Macbeth's monologue was just finishing to applause, which was soon followed by a slightly more titillating solo in the form of Minnie (one of the most popular girls of the club) removing her clothes while standing in the red velvet swing. It wasn't long before she had disposed of all of her garments and had lowered herself to a sitting position on the swing through some basic acrobatics and proceeded to swing in the nude across the room several times before one of the men stood on the table and caught the swing and her-all to the cheers and approval of the other patrons.

While fascinated by the apparatus, Julia was far too intimidated by the increasingly rowdy group of men to even consider trying it. Perhaps William would construct one for her in their house one day, if she managed to come up with a reason for knowing about such a thing, that is. But for now, she made it a point to observe the various groups of men and look for one that featured guests less than involved with the show or ladies.

It wasn't long before she found such a group comprised of two men who were having a heated discussion with one another, and were not at all interested in the evening's entertainments.

Noting that a server was making their way around the room and refilling the patron's drinks, Julia let the waiter know that she would see to this particular table's needs. Gathering her courage, she approached the table and noted that they weren't speaking English at all. In fact, it sounded not dissimilar to the Czech she'd often heard during her time in Prague, but it was somehow different – Russian perhaps!

It was now or never!

"Good Evening, Gentleman, is this evening's show not to your liking? Perhaps I can get you another drink," she inquired. She was hoping that she'd be able to find some way to sustain a conversation to gather enough information to give Mr. Meyers and be done with this ruse!

Surprisingly, the older man responded by barking something in Russian at the younger man, both realizing that they had failed to keep up the pretense of enjoying the show. Immediately, the younger man leered at her and immediately grabbed her bottom.

In very heavily accented English, he made his interest clear, "Madam, the show is not nearly as much to my liking as you are, my dear." With little notice and with the approval of his older companion, the man pulled her into his lap and immediately began tracing his finger around the neckline of her gown, dipping deep into her décolletage.

* * *

William was too busy being lovesick to note any odd behavior. After catching himself and admitting to himself that he had enjoyed Minnie swinging as she did, he'd began imagining that he'd been watching Julia swing for him like that. Perhaps he could build a swing like that in the house he was going to build her he wondered while making a mental note of how the swing was constructed and hung.

During a break in the action (after Minnie's swing routine had been interrupted by a patron grabbing her without her express consent, no less), William again noticed the tall, elegant blonde wearing the exotic kimono dress as she approached his table. Her figure, hair, and carriage reminded him of Julia and he couldn't help but be spellbound by the mysterious woman.

Stopping to speak with a pair of men a few tables away, there was something about her carriage, her manner that seemed familiar to William. His senses began to tingle as something from within told him that there was something very important about her. _"What was it?"_ his mind raced. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Keeping her in his sights, he noticed her take a step back from the two men as though they had said something inappropriate or upsetting to her. He strained to hear their conversation, but over the din of the music and their distance, he couldn't make out what they were saying. Just as he was contemplating an excuse to approach the table, one of the men grabbed the woman and pulled her on his lap, where his hand immediately went to her bosom, inappropriately touching her without her consent. It was immediately evident that she did not care to be there, and in a split second, and without any forethought, William bolted from his seat and was upon the offending man, grabbing him by the lapels, thus offering the lady a chance to escape.

"What do you think you're doing?" William angrily demanded, still holding the man by his jacket.

"I'm just having some fun. What's the problem, she's just a whore. Isn't that why we're here-to enjoy ourselves?" he asked in heavily accented English.

"This is a gentleman's club, sir, and you sir, are certainly not acting the past," William informed him.

With the two staring at one another, a fight seemed imminent until the older man of the two barked something at the younger man, who immediately held his hands up in surrender and backed away when William realized the depth of the situation he was in.

The men spoke Russian. Ivan Kuznets was supposedly Russian. Were these the men he was looking for? The hair on William's neck stood up, and he immediately sensed something else was at play. Turning around, he saw the woman, who stood behind him, mouth agape in shock.

Just then, Inspector Brackenreid approached the table and stood between the two men, thus ending the conflict.

"I trust there are no issues here, gentlemen," Brackenreid asked. "Let's get back to enjoying our evening, shall we," he advised.

Nodding, William turned around to ask the woman about her welfare, but she had since fled to the other side of the room, and was quickly heading up the stairs to the girls' rooms. Acting on instinct, he quickly bounded after her, catching her halfway up the staircase.

Grabbing her arm, he stopped her ascent and turned her around.

"Miss, it is imperative I speak with you. I mean you no harm, I assure y…," he broke off mid-sentence as she faced him. Facing her directly, he knew why she seemed familiar, but for confirmation, he glanced down at her hands.

Yes, he would recognize those rings everywhere, particularly the ruby engagement ring as he had spent countless, heartbroken nights staring at it.

"William," she breathlessly whispered.

"Julia," he answered in response.


	10. Chapter 10

Okay, fair warning-this chapter gets a bit steamy! Also, this story should be completed in the next chapter or two. I do apologize for posting this story in parts, it's been sitting on my hard drive for over a year and I've always found excuses not to work on it or post it. By posting it incomplete, it's forcing me to work on it and finish it- because I hate unfinished fics! Thanks for sticking with me!

* * *

For moments, they stood on the staircase, simply staring at one another in disbelief and shock, one another's minds struggling to make sense of this nonsensical encounter.

Julia was astounded. The late nights, the stench of smoke on his clothes. He'd been here almost every night. Julia blinked repeatedly, not knowing what to say.

Meanwhile William's mouth opened and closed several times, struggling to find the right thing to say as he comprehended everything. Was this why she was acting strange of late?

"What on God's Earth are you doing here, Julia?" he angrily asked.

The flash of anger in her eyes informed him that he had not said the right thing.

"I could ask you the same thing, William," she answered with a huff.

"As I've told you, Julia. I'm working on a case. Inspector Brackenreid is here with me. I assure you, I am not spending my all of my evenings here because I want to," William responded.

There was so much that needed to be said, but for now, she needed to trust him on faith. They both still had a job to finish, but now, they were going to do what they did best: work together. William had never given her cause to doubt his word, and she was going to assume as such now.

"I believe you, William. I'm not here of my own free will either. But now is not the time to discuss it. The pair that we were just with, William…they're suspicious!" she exclaimed.

Nodding, he cupped her face in the palm of his hand. "I agree, Julia, they're highly suspicious. Yes, we need to talk, but now is not the time," he reassured her, looking around to make sure that they were alone.

I'm going to go back downstairs. Work the room as you did earlier and eventually, make your way back to me," William instructed, giving her a quick kiss before going back down.

Just as William walked back down to the main room, Madame Elise appeared. "Julia, is everything all right?" she asked.

"It's fine, Elise. I assure you – I am not threatened by this man, he merely wanted to make sure I was unharmed" Julia replied.

Nodding, she returned to her previous duties and Julia breathed a sigh of relief.

As soon as Elise had walked out of sight, Julia resumed her stroll around the main room per William's directions. After a few minutes of interacting with the various guests and giving a wide berth to the suspicious pair, Julia approached William, who had relocated himself to a red velvet divan strewn with brocade pillows.

His tie loosened and collar buttons undone, he lounged with one leg crossed over the other and arms spread over the top of the divan. To be honest, he looked a bit rakish, and secretly it thrilled Julia to see her normally properly attired man so undone in public.

"Good Evening again, kind sir," Julia said with a smirk as she stood in front of William. "I would like to thank you for coming to my aid earlier."

Julia shivered as she noted the look he gave her – he was not bothering to hide his desire for her – not even in front of all these people.

She was stunned, but did not object when he pulled her down onto the sofa, straddling his lap as he cupped her bottom with his hands.

"We have work to do, Julia. Let's continue to play our parts, shall we?" William asked as he pulled her head down for a kiss.

Nodding, she wrapped her arms around his neck and again kissed him herself, reveling in such outrageous public behavior with her husband. She'd always suspected that he'd harbored exhibitionist fantasies, but she never dreamed that he'd ever act on them.

But she had to admit, this was as good a place as any if he were to do so.

With a mischievous smirk, he trailed a finger down her collarbone to her décolletage, dipping his finger down between her breasts while his other hand remained on her bottom.

"I will not share, Julia," he whispered into her ear as he pulled her in for a kiss, "You're not his or anyone else's to touch," he continued.

Looking deep into his eyes, she acknowledged the mutual feelings between them.

"You are my property as well, William. I will not abide by any other woman touching you like this either," she admitted, nipping at his ear before trailing kisses down his neck; one of his erogenous spots.

"Yes, completely," he groaned in agreement before he remembered himself and reasserted control. He then coaxed her to sit across his lap so that he could better focus.

"Julia, I want you to study the pair from earlier. What are they doing?" he asked as he toyed with the part in her kimono robe.

Breath hitching, she tried to do as he asked while he continued the onslaught of her neck with his own mouth.

Tensing, she realized that they were staring right at them. She told William this, who immediately tensed under her.

"Let them stare. Just keep playing along and remember we're in a brothel, this is what goes on in places like this. Our behavior is not outrageous here. Just keep your mask on, and play along," he advised her.

Nodding, she glanced around the room to reassure herself that all was well when she spotted Inspector Brackenreid who was staring at them in awe, mouth open and ignoring his own companion.

"William!" she gasped. "The Inspector is staring right at us. Do you think he's aware of who I am?" she wondered.

"It's quite possible, Julia. Even if he isn't now, he will be eventually, and he will be discreet," William reassured her as he resumed kissing her.

Thus, they continued making a spectacle that really wasn't a spectacle given their locale for the next few minutes periodically checking in on the Russian pair, who still stared at them. The younger man in particular was getting angrier by the moment. Julia informed William of this.

"That's the idea, Julia. In fact, I say it's time we move this somewhere else and draw them in. Invite me to your boudoir, milady. This will be easier if we can isolate them," he told her as he nodded first at the Inspector and then at another man she could not identify on the other side of the room.

Nodding, Julia grabbed his tie as she stood up. Dragging him behind her, she made her way back to the stairs and up to the room Madame Elise had used with her earlier.

"I must say, I do believe that I'm the first woman to have an affair with her own husband at a house of ill repute, " she giggled as she whispered in his ear.

"Sadly, this little game will not go that far this evening. But I do hope that such an occasion may come to pass in the near future, " he whispered back with his own laugh.

Just outside the room, William pressed Julia up against the wall, pinning her hands over her head before he hungrily took her mouth in a kiss before releasing her and allowing himself to be led into the room where the door was left partially ajar. Looking at William, he answered her unspoken question.

"Just wait. They should be here momentarily, I won't allow them to harm you," he reassured her.

They did not wait long, as the two men soon came barging into the room, angry that William had "stolen their woman."

William could handle the younger man as he swung a punch at him, but Julia shrank back from the older man who attempted to grab her. She swung at him herself and landed a decent hook herself, as he had not been expecting it.

As blood gushed from his nose and sprayed the front of the beautiful gown she was wearing, and angry that she had hit him, he raised his hand to strike her himself, knocking her to the ground.

Her cheek stung from the force of the impact, but a quick check reassured her there was no blood. Throwing the younger man to the ground, William immediately came to Julia's aid and began beating the man himself as Julia struggled to get up so that she could help subdue the younger man when the reinforcements arrived.

"Not so fast, sunshine. Didn't your mother raise you any better? You ought never to hit a lady," Inspector Brackenreid surmised as he laid the younger man out with his walking stick and stepped on his chest, preventing him from getting up to fight again.

By this point, William had again grabbed the older man's lapels and had him against the wall, anger in his eyes. "You do not touch her," William told him. "You don't look at her or even think of her. She told you she wasn't interested, and that's final," he shouted in anger as he again struck the man.

Julia was stunned, as she had never seen William that angry and not in control of his emotions.

By this point, Terrence Meyers and company had arrived as well, and immediately subdued the two men themselves, allowing Inspector Brackenreid to pull and hold William back before he had a chance to do anything he might regret.

"Mr. Meyers, I believe these men might be of interest to you, and they are most certainly of interest to me. I'd like to question them about their friend, Mr. Kuznets," said William.

Terrence nodded. "Excellent work, gentlemen. They will be at your station house in the morning, I assure you," said Meyers as his men restrained the two Russians and arranged to take them out.

"Absolutely not, Meyers. We captured them, we get the first crack at them," Brackenreid demanded, stepping in front of the door so as to prevent their exit.

"Thomas, it's better this way. You'll probably find them far more amenable to talking after my boys have had their turn at them," Meyers responded, pushing Brackenreid aside. "Your country thanks you all for your service," he stated, as was his custom, looking at Julia and winking at her in addition.

This did not go unnoticed by William who tensed in response. It did not help that he was still riled up from one fight, and had little compunction about starting another. Julia put her hand on his shoulder to just let the matter drop.

"Also, no talking to anyone about this at all. We will all meet in at Station House #4 at 11:00 am tomorrow morning," he added, waving his cigar as the contingent left the room.

"Murdoch, Dr. Ogden, gather your things and go home. The two of you apparently have lots to discuss," said Brackenreid, gesturing towards Julia's now ruined ensemble. "I'll explain away matters here," he reassured them.

Starting to object, but realizing that the Inspector was right, William grabbed Julia's hand. "Come, let's leave before anyone else recognizes you."

Grabbing her things, the two of them beat a hasty retreat out of the club and into the street, where they hailed a cab to their hotel suite. Once at their hotel, Julia's blood spattered ensemble certainly drew more than its share of glances, but William and Julia paid no mind as they hurried upstairs to the privacy and relative safety of their suite.


	11. Chapter 11

"Shall we have our discussion now, William?" Julia asked in the privacy of their suite as she slipped off the lovely but now ruined kimono dress and left it in a heap on the floor of their bedroom.

She'd have to see about replacing it somehow as she didn't know of a good way of removing blood from the delicate silk. It was really quite a shame it had been irreparably damaged, as it was quite lovely.

"It's as good a time as any, I suppose," he replied while he poured her a glass of wine and himself a glass of water as he stared at the scandalous dress pooled on the floor. Looking up he saw Julia standing in their suite half nude, and it was only serving to reawaken his desire from earlier, demanding that they finish what they had started at the club.

"It's a shame about this dress," he lamented, gesturing at the discarded gown on the floor. "I would have enjoyed seeing you in it at least once more," he added.

"You mean you would have liked to have removed it," she teased, turning for him to unlace and help remove her corset.

Task completed, he pulled her close to her so that she could feel his desire. "I certainly wouldn't have objected," he murmured, cupping her breasts and finding her sensitive nipples with his thumbs and forefingers through the fabric of her chemise.

"William, I thought we were going to discuss what happened?" she feebly protested as she half collapsed in his arms.

"Yes, I suppose that we should," he admitted, stepping away from her with a reluctant sigh.

"Well, I'm assuming that you're going to tell me that you were working at the request of Mr. Meyers," she began, sitting down on their couch in just her chemise sipping her wine, knowing that the lack of clothing would make concentrating difficult for him and she wanted to keep him in his discomfited state for when they later discussed his behavior at the club.

"Yes, Mr. Meyers requested we attend the club and make note of suspicious persons that we saw. Only we didn't see any until this evening – it seems you found them for us," he finished with a gesture towards her.

"Yes, William Murdoch. I assume that you were staring at the ceiling the entire time, and never once enjoyed the lovely sights and the spectacle around you," Julia teased, taking a sip of her wine while gesturing for William to join her on the couch.

Blushing, he smiled and looked down before regaining composure. "Yes, I will admit that I did enjoy looking at the ladies but never at any time was I untrue to you. In fact, the girls found it most strange that I was not interested in their companionship and weren't sure what to make of me. Until tonight, that is. I'm sure my sudden selection of an unknown, masked lady and our subsequent actions made quite the scene," he added with a nervous laugh before turning serious.

"Julia, of course I'll give you as many details as I can, but why were you there? Earlier, you asked me to trust you, and I do, but I am very curious as to why?" he asked while looking down at his hands.

"I must admit William, I was concerned that you came home late smelling of cigars almost every night, and I worried that a rift was growing between us, but never did I once suspect you of being untrue, and I believe you when you say that you didn't make any overtures with the girls at The Garden. Even if I am well aware that you enjoyed taking in the scenery," she joked, poking him in his thigh with her toe.

"But it seems that you weren't the only one contacted by Mr. Meyers. A few weeks ago, he came to my office, and asked me to gather information on the club's clients through the rouse of inspecting the girls for health and cleanliness. While I was there, I was to ask the girls about the men and report men of particular interest back to Mr. Meyers," she answered, knowing that he was going to probe further and psyching herself up for it.

Exhaling sharply, he nodded, and his fists clenched. "I see. This would also seem to coincide with our growing apart from one another. Why didn't you tell me, Julia? I would have liked to have known if Meyers were in contact with you again. Especially after the last time," he muttered, the rage coiling within his normally placid persona.

Julia tensed, knowing that she hadn't even told him the worst of it.

"I didn't tell you, William, because he blackmailed me. He knew of my abortion and threatened to tell you, your superiors, the father of the child – everyone! He told me that he would make it a public scandal if I didn't do what he wanted and I didn't keep it to myself. I wanted to, William! I don't want secrets between us, but I didn't want to hurt you either. He forbade me from telling you as he knew you would not like the fact that he had been in contact with me or that he wanted me to work for him," she trailed off because by this point William had bolted up and was now pacing around the room muttering to himself.

"That rotten son of a bi…," he caught himself just in time and instead slammed his fist down on the desk. He would not swear, and he certainly would not do so in front of his lady.

"William, please don't be angry…I didn't want to do this and I certainly didn't want to keep a secret from you, but I was afraid of what would happen should anyone find out. Of course you were already aware, but the others…" she began before stopping, realizing that she didn't have his full attention.

"Who the hell does he think he is? He had no right to ask or even demand such things of you – certainly not without my knowledge. What is his fascination with you? You're a married woman – you're my wife! What is his game?" he questioned aloud mainly to himself before he stopped and brought himself back under control after taking several deep breaths to calm himself.

"Did he ask you to go undercover? To assume the identity of a prostitute?" he asked, his eyes nearly black with some indiscernible emotion. She suspected it was anger mixed with something else.

"No. I did that myself because I'd run out of pretense to continue the visits from a medical perspective, but Meyers insisted that I continue the guise. So, I told Madame Elise that I was curious about what went on in a burlesque house and bordello and she allowed me the opportunity to assume a role. This was the first night I'd done it, and needless to say, I was not expecting to be groped like that," she explained with a laugh, hoping to diffuse the situation.

"Julia, there's a reason no respectable woman sets foot inside an establishment like that! Some men view it as an opportunity to behave boorishly and take liberties with ladies, things they would never do if they were in polite company. No, I didn't know per se that it was you when I came to your aid, but there was something about you that made me take notice, something I couldn't dismiss. But what if I hadn't noticed you? What if I hadn't been there? Do you have any idea what would have happened to you? Consent is assumed in a place like that. That man could have dragged you upstairs and violated you in unspeakable ways with no concern for your wants or needs, and a room full of people would have done nothing to help you!" he snapped.

"William, are you angry at me? I was doing a job just like you were. I was gathering information much like you were, and I dare say, more effectively than you were. Are you upset that I was better at your job than you were, Detective Wandering Eyes?" she argued back.

William turned his back to her and pounded the desk again, an action that made Julia flinch. Combined with his actions against her would-be assailant earlier this evening, she'd never seen such physical outbursts from her typically calm man. Sharply exhaling, and running his hands through his hair, he slowly turned back around and faced her accusation.

"No, Julia. I'm not angry with you. I'm furious with Meyers for being an utter cad. For using your past against you to make you do something you didn't want to do, for putting your safety and wellbeing in jeopardy, and mostly, for attempting to come between us. The man has an unhealthy interest in you, and I don't like it" he explained, regaining control of his anger.

Relaxing, Julia nodded, relieved that she wasn't the source of his anger. William had always been very protective of her and this was really more of the same. She also had proof that William was somewhat jealous of other men's intentions towards her, and she had to admit that she wasn't upset about that so long as he never tried to control her actions because of it.

Dare she say that she was excited by the fact that he wanted to be the only man in her life?

"I must say, I certainly wasn't expecting you, but you were on my mind nonetheless and perhaps that's why I was so intrigued with your alter ego this evening. When Minnie was performing her routine on the swing, I imagined you doing something similar for me," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "My eyes may occasionally betray me, and I may appreciate looking at a beautiful woman, but the only woman I want is you, Mrs. Murdoch. I know you don't always like it, but it is my solemn duty as your husband to protect you and keep you pleased. I cherish you, Julia. I need you to be happy and safe," he admitted.

"I dare say, I wasn't expecting you to come to my rescue, dear husband, but I am so very delighted that you did," she replied, standing up and walking over to him, and pulling him towards her by his coat lapels.

Kissing him soundly, she slipped his jacket off and let it drop to the floor.

Pulling her chemise off over her head, William gladly took the opportunity to run his hands over her body, delighting in the pleasures of running his hands over her soft skin and supple flesh as well as listen to how her breathing changed and the small noises of pleasure she made.

But this time, he immediately noticed the indentions from her corset – she didn't normally wear it that tight.

"What's this, Julia? I didn't think you tight-laced," he asked as he fingered the red marks left behind on her normally creamy and unblemished skin.

Annoyed that she was completely nude while he remained mostly clothed, she looked down at what he was talking about. "Oh, those. It was necessary for the dress William. It's also why I'm not wearing my pantalets," she replied, guessing that question would be next.

"I see. The pantalets would have been too bulky for the gown, I suppose. Do you often neglect to wear all of your undergarments, Mrs. Murdoch?" he asked with a lascivious grin.

"Well, Detective, I suppose you could do some investigating sometime and figure that out for yourself, couldn't you?" she responded while wiggling her hips.

"Perhaps I will," he grunted, pulling her back in his arms. There was no doubting where this was quickly headed as his desire pressed into her abdomen and his tongue slid into her mouth. She responded in kind.

"What about our discussion, William?" Julia asked, half jokingly. They weren't finished, but perhaps they were done for tonight as it was getting quite late.

"Later," he announced, picking her up and carrying her to their bedroom. Laying her gently down on the mattress, he grabbed her hands, and pinned them over her head, putting all of his weight on her. He was trying to resist the strong urge to tie her to the headboard again as he had done a couple of night's previously. The last thing he wanted was for his jealousy to scare Julia.

Just because she'd allowed him to succumb to an unspeakable desire that one time didn't mean that she'd routinely allow it or indulge it ever again. He'd always considered such sex play a dark place, and tried to avoid such thoughts, yet he couldn't help himself: there were times he wanted take her and have his way with her as he'd done two nights ago and again now. It had been most unlike him to actually act upon the urge, but she had teased him into a frenzy so expertly the other night, it had made him forget himself – even if for a little while.

Groaning in annoyance, William rolled off of her and rubbed his face in frustration. He would not behave in such a manner this evening.

Startled at the sudden change in activity, Julia sat up and looked down at William, noting his discomfiture and weighing it against her exasperation with coitus interruptus. If she could think clearly, she could get to the bottom of why William was behaving as he was, but given her own frustration, instead opted to assume control of their lovemaking herself – something William typically enjoyed.

She wasn't sure what William was thinking, but sensing he wanted something different from their routine relations, she decided to reassume the role of the woman of ill repute she had played earlier in the evening and got out of bed.

"Now, Mr. Murdoch, I'm going to require you to get up and remove your clothes. I don't know what kind of fallen woman you think I am, but I do not entertain my clients while they remain fully clothed," she ordered, helping to pull him up.

While he undressed, she stepped to their living room to pour herself a glass of wine and leaned against the doorjamb, while he disrobed. She'd seen him naked countless times over the past few months, yet she still spotted the telltale blush that accompanied his embarrassment at being watched so intently while he disrobed.

Finishing her glass of wine as he removed his final article of clothing, she walked over to where he stood, awaiting her next command. "I'll have you know, William Murdoch, that you are all mine, and I won't share," she whispered into his ear before reassuming her persona. Briefly kissing and stroking his hair to further reassure him of her feelings, she pushed him back on the bed and mounted him, pinning his hands over his head before tying them to the headboard with the scarves she had grabbed.

She was correct in her assumption as he immediately acquiesced to her ministrations, allowing her to take charge of their encounter and submitting to her whims. Taking a moment to reflect upon this encounter, she was truly struck by how much trust he had shown in her, and she vowed never to violate it again.

Taking him in her mouth, she expertly teased him for the next few minutes, quickly bringing him to a point of delirium, and nearing release when he began to struggle mightily against his restraints.

"Please, Julia. No more games. I need to touch you…please," he begged.

Quickly moving to release him from his bonds, Julia was not surprised when he assumed control of their dance, and flipped their positions, tucking her under him. Stroking her face and hair, he held her head between his hands and feasted upon first her mouth, then her breasts, and finally her femininity, bringing her immense pleasure as she had earlier done for him.

She knew that this was his way of telling her his true feelings for her, which he would never be able to fully verbalize.

She returned the sentiment by returning each kiss and caress with as much passion as she could muster. They didn't need words to tell each other that they only loved and wanted one another.

Unsurprisingly, it quickly became very intense and emotional and once he'd brought her to a similar state of delirium, they reached ecstasy together, equally.

Pulling the blankets up over them, William gave into her unspoken request that they sleep in the nude together, and guided her head to rest on his chest, limbs entwined. They were soon asleep, relieved that they had mended the rift between them.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning, the sun was already shining quite brightly when she awoke to William lightly stroking her cheek.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Murdoch. Did you sleep well?" he asked as he played with a wayward curl.

Stretching, she moaned in contentment. They went to bed far too late to have slept enough, and no doubt she could have slept longer, but what sleep did she have was pleasant – all the more so when William Murdoch was sharing your bed.

Looking at the clock, she saw with a start that it was half past 7 in the morning.

"William, how could you have let me sleep so late? I have to go to the asylum early this morning to complete my rounds so that I can be at the Stationhouse by 11:00 for our appointment with Mr. Meyers," she asked as she noted that he was already dressed.

"There's no need for you to go, Julia. I will handle matters myself, and I will make excuses to Mr. Meyers on your behalf," said William.

Taking a deep breath, Julia sat up, allowing the sheet to fall and expose her still nude body to her husband's appreciative gaze. She noted with pride that he was trying very hard not to touch. "William, I promise that I am not the least bit interested in Terrence Meyers. You have nothing to fear, **_husband_** ," she assured him, stressing his title to him.

"It's not that I'm threatened by him, Julia, but no, I don't like the familiarity he assumes with you. However, I will have some words with him this morning, and I plan to make sure that the two of us have an understanding, via any means necessary. You probably will not like or even approve of our conversation, Julia, but it must be had. As your husband, I cannot allow him to take the liberties with you that he has been," he nervously explained, awaiting her censure.

No, she probably wasn't going to like it, but one look at his face and she relented. She didn't care for the implication that she couldn't handle things herself, but she admitted that wasn't what William was implying. His male pride demanded that he defend his woman and that meant dealing with Mr. Meyers in a manner that he saw fit. They were definitely going to have to talk about his sudden jealous streak when this was finished.

Sighing, Julia embraced her husband and kissed him. "Very well, William. I understand that you want to have some words with Mr. Meyers. I will not interfere or even be present in the room if that's what you wish, but I will have my own say, and I want to hear what he has to say about the case," she informed him.

She couldn't help but smirk as she kissed him again, and this time, one of his hands found a nipple and began rolling it between his fingers as his tongue tangled with hers.

Groaning in both pleasure and frustration that this little encounter couldn't go any further, Julia pushed him away and got up to hurriedly get ready.

* * *

Despite rushing around to get ready this morning, and getting to the asylum to make rounds as early as she could, it was ten past eleven when her carriage pulled up to Stationhouse #4.

Rushing in as quick as she could, she saw that both William's and the Inspector's offices were empty.

Looking around, she noticed that the other men were exchanging money; they were clearly placing bets, completely oblivious to her presence.

"What is going on," she asked, immediately silencing the hubbub.

"Uh, Dr. Ogden. Well," George Crabtree began, struggling to creatively explain away the current activity.

"Dr. Ogden, we're taking bets to see who will emerge victorious – the Detective or Mr. Meyers," Henry Higgins proudly volunteered. "Would you care to place a wager?" he naively asked.

"Henry!" George chastised.

"Constable Crabtree, do you mean to tell me that you are all wagering on a fight involving my husband and Mr. Meyers? And some of you are betting against Detective Murdoch?" she sighed exasperatedly.

"Dr. Ogden, I apologize for this tomfoolery. Detective Murdoch did not tell me that you were coming," George explained.

"Mr. Meyers is a spy, so anything is possible. He might even know Kung Fu, George," Higgins pointed out.

"That's a fair point, Henry. That could change things…" George mused outloud.

"Gentlemen!" snapped Julia.

"They're in the interview room, Doctor Ogden," Constable Jackson supplied.

Nodding her thanks, she hurriedly walked over to the room in question, where Inspector Brackenreid stood waiting outside.

"Inspector?" Julia asked, wondering why the blinds were closed as well.

"Doctor. Your husband wanted to have a few words in private with Meyers," he informed her. "As usual, Murdoch didn't go into details, but he said that your presence at the club last night was the result of coercion." the man explained with a nod of his head towards the room. "Your secret is safe with me, Doctor. I will not tell another soul. Also, they just went in, and fear not, I'm here to make sure your husband doesn't get too carried away," he replied to her unanswered questions.

Julia nodded. The man knew her well.

Just then, the sound of a chair could be heard hitting the ground and a body thudding against the wall.

Julia started for the door, but the Inspector held her back. "Let Murdoch handle his own business, Doctor. The law of man says that if a bloke is sniffing around a man's wife, he must settle it with the man in question," Brackenreid explained.

"Even if it leads to fisticuffs, Inspector? What if William were to be hurt?" Julia worried.

"You saw your husband last night, Doctor, he can take care of himself. He damn well would have beat that other bloke to a pulp if I hadn't stepped in," he reassured her.

"Mr. Meyers is a government official, if William were to badly injure him, it could be devastating for William," Julia worried.

"I assure you, Doctor, it won't come to that," the Inspector with a laugh. "Your husband is too useful for Meyers to ever dream of such a thing. He'll quietly take the beating if it comes to that."

"Inspector, William is not a violent man," she answered.

Snorting, the man shook his head. "You've never seen that side to him, Doctor. But trust me, he's capable."

Taking a breath in anger, Julia flung open the door and stormed inside ready to help defend her husband. It wasn't necessary, Meyers was on the floor with a busted lip and William stood over him, fists clinched at his side.

Stunned into silence at her husband's posture, Julia was at a loss for words. Turning to her, William acknowledged her presence with a nod and turned back to the man on the floor.

"Mr. Meyers, I believe there is something you need to say to my wife," William ordered.

"Mrs. Murdoch, I apologize for my behavior. I will not approach you without your husband's knowledge or presence ever again. I will also destroy all of my records on your history," he euphemistically stated.

Finding her voice and seeing the man, her anger returned. "My name is Dr. Ogden, Mr. Meyers. You may speak to me as the occasion warrants, but I will not be compelled to perform actions for you against my will ever again, nor will I be keeping any more secrets from my husband. You will also hand all of the records over to me personally so that I may ensure their destruction – all of them, Mr. Meyers, including those of the other women. I will not allow them to be blackmailed for your personal gain," she ordered.

Meyers remained silent until William kicked his foot, "Oy, did you not hear her, Meyers?"

Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and touching it to his lip, he laughed. "Very well, the two of you have my word. Dr. Ogden, the records will be in your possession this afternoon; I'll have them delivered to the asylum," Meyers promised.

William glanced at Julia to ensure that she was satisfied. She nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Mr. Meyers," said William as he helped the man up.

"Excellent, Mr. Murdoch. Now, may we meet to discuss last night?" the man asked.

"We'll, join you in a moment, Mr. Meyers," William replied as the man walked out of the room.

The Inspector (who had been watching the entire thing from the door) snorted and shook his head in amusement; "Make it quick, will you? The two of you can canoodle some other time," he added with a laugh.

"Yes, sir," William answered before turning to Julia.

Far from being frightened by William's uncharacteristic aggressive behavior, she found herself aroused by it, just as she had been the time when Leslie Garland had ambushed her in her office. Noting that they were alone, she walked to him and tugged on his tie with firm strokes, hoping he'd catch the unspoken implication.

"That was impressive, William. I don't believe that I've ever seen you behave like that. You threatened Leslie Garland, but you didn't actually hit him. Although, I must say that I would have enjoyed that as well," she added.

Closing his eyes and groaning, it was apparent that he did before he stilled her hands.

"I'm at work, Julia. Not here," he replied as he glanced at the table with a wistful look.

The implication of the gesture was not lost on Julia.

"The interview room table, William? Quite shocking, husband," she teased.

He didn't bother to deny it. "Dear God," he murmured mostly to himself, again closing his eyes.

Not wanting to push her husband any further for the moment, she took his arm and began to escort him out of the room. "Shall we listen to what Mr. Meyers has to say?

"Indeed," he answered, looking at her as though he wanted to throw her on the table and have his way with her before allowing himself to be dragged away.

* * *

Once in the Inspector's office, pleasantries were mercifully skipped in favor of getting straight to the point.

"So, the two gentlemen are indeed spies for Russia, but they are at least some of the men we've been looking for, and they have confessed to Ivan Kuznets' murder. They are being transferred to your custody after lunch for questioning so that you can arrive at that same conclusion," Meyers announced, helping himself to the Inspector's whiskey.

"Really, you're going to hand them over so easily," William asked.

"Yes. I've already obtained the useful information I need from them. Feel free to interrogate them yourself, but they've already informed me that Kuznets was a suspected double agent and was selling information to the Prussians and he was duly removed. This is an acceptable outcome for such an action in the spy game. The two men have also decided that they would rather take their chances with the Canadian courts as opposed to return to Russia in disgrace. What the Prussians would want with any information from that backwater is beyond me," he shrugged, gingerly touching his busted lip with a grimace.

"Why would they be returning home in disgrace? They completed their task," asked the Inspector.

"Not exactly," Meyers offered. "They did not capture the Prussian operative as they had been directed, and cannot return home in failure. They believe they had finally identified him last night when you and Dr. Ogden got involved, and they forgot what they were there to do."

"Who is the Prussian operative?" William found himself asking before he remembered who he was talking to. He did not want to encourage the man.

Well, that is where I need your assistance. They will inform us who the man is in exchange for leniency from the courts for the murder of Ivan Kuznets," Meyers stated, taking out one of his Cuban cigars.

"They murdered a man in our jurisdiction. Why would we show them leniency?" the Inspector asked.

"Because, it's in the interests of national security, of course," he replied with a sly smile before he winced in pain at his busted lip.

"Why do I believe that there's more to this, Meyers?" William queried.

"Well, because I need your help, of course. Could I ask you and your wife to resume your roles at The Garden this evening?

William clenched his jaw in anger before looking at Julia who rolled her eyes in exasperation. The Inspector snorted again.

"Why should we help you?" Julia asked with her lips pursed.

"Would you believe me when I told you that it was again in the interest of national security?" Meyers asked.

* * *

In case you were upset at me for referring to Russia as a 'provincial backwater', please remember that this is 1903, and the Russian Revolution of 1917 was in part started by anger that Russia was so far behind the US, Canada, and the other European countries in terms of technology and industry. This Russia referred to here is not the same Russia of today.


	13. Chapter 13

"Julia, what in the world are you thinking?" William demanded as they closed the door to his office. "After everything that's happened: the blackmail, forbidding you from telling me the truth as well as what happened to you last night at the club, and what I told you afterwards, why are you choosing to help him?"

"I know you're angry, William. But it's an opportunity to make sure that the operation is completed as well as an opportunity to work together. It'll be fine, William."

Of course there was also the unspoken desire that she wanted to ensure that neither Elise or her livelihood were harmed. Julia could appreciate how difficult it was for a woman to come from humble beginnings and establish a successful business. It was important to her that Elise's hard work was respected, and she didn't respect Meyers to do that.

Sighing in defeat, William rubbed his face. "I'm making it known that I'm doing this under protest, I don't like it," he stated.

"It will be fine, you'll be there to look after me," she reassured him. "Besides, I only have eyes for you, dearest William," she told him again.

"I'm not concerned about whether or not you're being faithful, Julia. I trust you completely. However, I don't trust Meyers or any of these other men to treat you with the respect and dignity you deserve. What if I'm busy and can't come to your aid?" he wondered

"William, I know you just want to protect me, but I'll be fine. If anything, I may need to look after you," she finished; first straightening and then again stroking his tie before he quickly stilled her hands and removed them.

"Not here, Julia. Later," he answered with a shy smile.

* * *

After lunch, she went back to the asylum and as Meyers promised, the records were delivered. Despite her resolve to do otherwise, she opened the box and took a brief glimpse at the names on the records and unsurprisingly, she saw several names she recognized, all of them from Toronto's finest families. It really was a damned shame that women had no other recourse but to resort to illegal butchers, something that could be mostly avoided if women were allowed to learn about and practice family planning.

If William were here, he would have chastised her for looking at these records without the permission of these women. Laughing, she shook her head. Damn her curious nature! Promising that she would never divulge these names to another soul, she closed the box and called for an orderly to help her bring the records downstairs. Leaving her to it at her request, Julia fed the files to the furnace where they would never haunt these women again.

* * *

It was with considerable awkwardness that Julia again approached Elise Beauregard later that afternoon, and asked to play the role she had performed previously as the club intrigued her mightily. Once again, the woman graciously allowed her to remain undercover once more.

Thus, after having insisted upon compensating Elise for the ruined silk kimono gown, Julia donned the scandalous red velvet dress she had once worn that fateful New Year's Eve of 1899 along with the same mask she had worn the night prior. She congratulated herself on thinking to wear _the_ dress tonight not only because its very outrageous design was appropriate for this particular environment, but it was sure to gain an appreciative response from William later that evening.

As the evening was once again under way, Julia entered the main salon, where the men sat to be entertained, and made her way amongst the tables, making small talk with the men. Armed with the information and description of the Prussian agent the Russian men had given them, Julia quickly narrowed her potential choices down to two different men that fit the details given and gradually made her way to them. The idea was for her to talk to the men and identify the one she thought was their actual man, and once indicated, Meyers, William and the Inspector would follow him as he left the club to intercept him.

However, tonight there was another masked woman, dark hair piled high upon her head, and her regal bearing most striking. She wasn't as young as most of the girls, approximately the same age as her and Elise, but there was something plenty beguiling about her to the men, as she had plenty of attention from them and charmed them effortlessly. It was almost as though she were another madam of the place, yet Elise had made no mention of such a person and Julia had never noticed her before now.

As she walked around the room, she made it a point to give a wide berth to the men she had known most of her life for fear that she would be recognized. Snorting to herself, she silently chided these very same men who often argued that a woman's place was in the home, tending to her family. A practice that didn't apply to them apparently, as they spent their time at a brothel doing everything but tending to their families.

The only man she made an effort to make eye contact with was William, not that she couldn't help but feel William's eyes on her the whole time anyway, and a part of her hoped that there wasn't too big of a scene tonight, while the other exulted in his jealous attention and the excitement it brought. As much as she tried to deny it, she liked this angle to William, and she found herself eagerly anticipating the next time he took charge and had his way with her. She'd thoroughly enjoyed being his captive and subject to his whims and attentions, and never at any time had she been worried or frightened at his newfound assertiveness in their relations; she trusted him implicitly and was thoroughly confident that he'd never harm her or force her to do anything against her will.

As Julia approached the first of her two possibilities for the Prussian operative, she became so bold as to join him without invitation and talk with him. His name was Henry, and it was readily apparent he was not interested in her. He openly stated that he enjoyed the younger girls of the house, but he was also far too much of a gentleman to dismiss her. After a few minutes of speaking with him and asking him if he'd ever been to Europe (it soon became clear that he hadn't), and discovering that he was an accountant (how dreadful!), Julia felt confident enough to rule him out.

After having soon excused herself to the relief of both of them, she continued to make her way towards the other man, stopping to make brief small talk with a couple of other men before reaching his table.

This man was far more open to conversation it turned out as he quickly invited her to sit down. His name was Peter and he was a businessman from Berlin! For several minutes they discussed shared experiences in Europe from the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to the Champs des Elysees in Paris. They both particularly enjoyed Prague and the wonderful cafes near the Charles Bridge. This had to be their man!

If he weren't a suspected spy, and if she weren't in the guise of a prostitute, Julia would have enjoyed the conversation. After several minutes more, he boldly moved his hand to her upper thigh and stroked her cheek with his other hand. Julia stiffened at the intrusion, but then remembered where she was and what she was supposed to be. She forced herself to relax and leaned into the touch.

She only hoped that William was taking the encounter well. A glance at his table featured none other than Madame Elise herself, who had her own hand upon his thigh. Strange, Madame Elise didn't normally approach the clients herself, and she wondered why she was suddenly so interested in William, who clearly did not appear to be enjoying the encounter (much to her delight), when Peter brought her attention back to him.

"Now Julia, you wouldn't be thinking about other men on me, would you? He asked, being increasingly bold by tracing a finger from her collarbone down to her décolletage.

"Not at all, Peter. I'm just distracted by all of the activity," she quickly lied. Fortuitously, Abby and Betty were performing their scintillating routine as a policewoman and criminal who would then be "forced" to undergo a strip search.

Laughing, Peter shook his head. "What a pretty little liar you are, Julia. But I will accept it for now."

"Now Peter, why would you think such a thing?" she asked nervously.

"Because you're a courtesan, Julia. It's your job to lie to men," he replied, now moving his hand to the apex of her thighs – her most intimate area.

Taking a deep breath, she stilled her nervousness as best as she could and tried to think of a witty comeback.

"Now Julia, you are a beautiful woman, but you are not the youngest. Most men here prefer the young, tender flesh, you know," the man said.

Julia nodded. "I see, would you like me to find a younger woman for you?" she asked. She was losing confidence fast, and was no longer comfortable with essentially serving as bait for Terrence Meyers. She glanced again at William, who was most definitely preoccupied with Elise's persistent attentions.

"No, Julia. I prefer older women, do you know why?"

"Why, Peter?" Julia asked with growing trepidation.

"Because with age, comes experience. An older woman gives far greater pleasure than a young waif with no skill in pleasuring a man," he explained with a leer. "Come now, escort me to your room and show me an excellent time, won't you?"

The last thing Julia wanted to do was go upstairs alone with this man, but she was afraid that if she didn't, they would lose their chance to catch the man. Nodding, she stood up and took Peter by the hand, slowly making their way up to the rooms. Making it a point to look at William (who was still distracted with fending off Elise's advances) and the Inspector, whose eye she did catch (thankfully!) she went as slow as she possibly could. She hoped that they would soon follow, and that Mr. Meyers had taken note and would soon join them.

Taking him to the spare room that she used as a dressing room, she led him in, quickly looking around for an object with which to defend herself should the need arise. As it was not in routine use as a room for assignations, it was not well decorated. In fact, it was quite sparse, and she wondered if Peter would say anything about the lack of amenities in the space. After a few seconds passed, she heard the lock click on the door, and her palms grew sweaty as she realized that the promised backup may not come.

Walking up to her and sharply pulling her head back by her hair, he pulled her into him and pulled her hand down to his crotch to stroke his arousal while he fastened his mouth upon her carotid artery. As he began to back them towards the bed, Julia glanced at the door one last time! Where was the Inspector? It was clear that the original plan was no longer an option, and as she would not be raped, evading unwanted sexual relations with this man and surviving to tell the tale were now the main goals. As he pushed her onto the bed, she kneed Peter in the groin, and pushed him away from her, giving her an opportunity to scramble off of the soft surface.

Smirking, he pulled a gun out of his jacket.

"Julia, my little double crossing whore, I was hoping we could have a little fun before it came to this, but alas, you leave me no choice," he replied as he cocked the gun at her.

"Dr. Ogden? Dr. Ogden?" she heard the Inspector shout in the hall, looking for her.

"In here, Inspector!" she shouted.

Suddenly, she could hear the door being kicked in, and pausing to discern the source of the noise, Peter paused, giving Julia another opportunity to grab a heavy objet d'art in the form of a small iron sculpture from a nearby table and throwing it at Peter in an attempt to knock the gun out of his hand. It caused him to fumble the weapon, but he quickly recovered it. In a desperate move to give the Inspector more time to break the door, she grabbed a pillow to throw at Peter, hoping it would distract him, however briefly.

In that instant, Julia heard a gunshot and braced herself. But it wasn't Peter; it was Inspector Brackenreid shooting the lock out of the door. Distracted again, Julia charged him and knocked him to the floor, the gun accidentally discharging in the process. Luckily, it fired into the ceiling and didn't harm anyone.

This gave the Inspector the necessary time to level his weapon at Peter and order the Prussian drop his revolver, which the man quickly complied with.

Without thinking, Julia took the opportunity to take it herself, and as she was reaching for it, she could hear William shouting her name as he ran up the stairs.

"Julia!" he cried as he stumbled through the door.

"I'm fine, William" she replied as she picked up Peter's gun and began to make her way to her husband.

But before she could maneuver around Peter and the Inspector, none other than Elise Beauregard entered the room, pistol drawn, and quickly pointed it at William's head!

Without thinking, Julia couldn't help herself and shouted, "No!"

"Did you really take me for an idiot, Julia? Did you not think I wouldn't see through your stupid reason for visiting and then your feigned interest in the lives of whores? Too bad you couldn't leave well enough alone last night and never return," the woman admonished. "Drop your weapons, both of you, or your dear husband gets it, _Doctor_.

Nodding with her hands up, she slipped the safety back on the pistol and placed it back down on the ground where Peter quickly reclaimed it before walking over to collect the Inspector's weapon.

"Damned fools, all of you. Problem is, I can't decide who I want to shoot first," Peter stated to the room, looking around. Laughing, he swung his attentions to to Julia. "I think I'll start with you, Julia. You do seem to be a particularly troublesome woman," he decided, again raising his gun at her.

Panicked, Julia looked at Elise in shock, who still held the gun at William's head.

"Sorry Julia, I'm afraid it's not in my best interests to help you," she answered with a shrug.

How could she have misread Elise so badly? First Mary Thompson had fooled her on her wedding day, and now this woman! She was supposed to be an expert in identifying those who were trouble!

Just as William looked ready to pounce to rescue her, Elise shot him and he immediately dropped to his knees and she aimed her gun at the Inspector this time.

"NO! William," she screamed as she bolted towards him. If she was going to die, she was going to do so next to the man she loved.

As she threw herself to the ground, she heard another shot and braced herself again, when she heard a thud hit the floor. Then, there was a second shot and if Julia had been hit, she did not feel it.

Finally getting to her husband, she found him very much alive and conscious.

"Shhh, it's alright, Julia. It's over," he reassured her as he wiped the tears from her face. She then realized that she had been crying. "Look, Julia, it's over," he told her again.

Heeding her husband's gesture to look around, she saw Elise and Peter lying on the floor. Standing in the doorway of the adjoining water closet was Terrence Meyers, a smoking gun in his hand. Standing in the doorway to the room was the mysterious masked woman from earlier, also holding a pistol.

Immediately turning her attention back to her husband, a quick examination revealed a superficial wound that was easily treatable. William would be fine.

Relieved that they had survived despite her foolishness, Julia collapsed on her husband and cried even harder. He cradled her the best he could with his one remaining good hand.


	14. Chapter 14

"Good Evening, Gentlemen. I'm Inspector Thomas Brackenreid of the Toronto Constabulary, and I officially announce this place of business closed, effective immediately," he announced to the remaining men who had not fled the club at the sound of gunshots upstairs.

"What about our membership dues, Inspector? Will the Constabulary be refunding those to us? We did pay good money for them after all," Henry the dreadful accountant asked to the assenting murmurs of the other men.

"Well, Sir, perhaps you might have some luck with His Majesty's Government after they have conducted a thorough background investigation and have cleared you of all suspicion, of course. Or, you can play it smart and leave immediately before they arrive to begin their investigation."

"Suspicion of what, Inspector?" one of the men asked.

"Not at liberty to discuss it, sunshine. But if you care to hang around, I'm sure you'll all find out," Brackenreid told the men.

It was no surprise when all of the men soon disappeared into the night without another word. Thomas shook his head and laughed to himself as he went back upstairs.

"Did you clear the house, Inspector?" Meyers asked as Brackenreid walked back into the room.

"Easily, Meyers, easily," he replied with a smirk.

* * *

The masked lady had immediately tended to Elise while Terrence Meyers apprised the vitality of Peter Henckel as he was known. After their weapons were taken from them, the scene secured, and William's life did not appear to be in danger, Julia was persuaded to examine both Elise Beauregard and Peter Henckel, as he was known. The masked lady promised that she would take care of William until she could return and would call for her at once should the need arise.

Peter Henkel had already bled out from a gunshot to the neck, and had died immediately. Julia shivered when she thought about the man who had been so formidable and full of vitality just a few minutes before, but such was the ephemeral nature of life.

Elise had suffered a gunshot wound in the leg, but would survive. Frightened, she tried to cash in on the earlier conviviality the two has shared. "Julia, I'm so glad neither you nor your husband were badly hurt. I meant only to fire the weapon to scare you, not…" she begged before Julia cut her off.

"Save it for another fool, Elise. I won't be believing another word you have to say," Julia pronounced as she stood up. "The bullet passed through your leg. There should be no complications provided infection doesn't set in," she informed her as she left to check on William.

Despite an offer from Meyers to call for a physician to tend to William's wound, Julia would not hear of it. She was in no mood to humor Meyer's implications that she was an emotional female and therefore incapable of treating her husband's wounds.

The physician being summoned could attend to Elise, and she had no doubt that Emily Grace would soon arrive to handle Peter's body. She would rather reassure herself of William's wellbeing as there was no one else she trusted to properly care for his wound, and when the Inspector personally procured a first aid kit somewhere in the house, Julia did as such.

She found William in the room next door where the masked lady had seated him in a large chair, and had cut off the ruined jacket and shirtsleeve. Her movements and gestures belied a kindness and gentleness that struck Julia as odd; it was almost as though the two knew one another.

From the doorway she watched their interactions, and it was soon became apparent that they were in fact acquainted with one another!

"Ettie, I suppose I must thank you for saving not only my life, but that of Julia as well. I don't suppose I can ask you how you came to be brandishing a weapon in a place like this, can I?" William asked.

"William, returning the favor was the absolute least I can do. I'm just thankful I was able to be of assistance. As for the latter, Terry and I have been working together for some time. I help procure information he needs, provide him with some companionship, and he looks out for me and my family. It's a good arrangement for both of us, William," she replied, standing entirely too close to him.

Ettie as in Ettie Weston? The prostitute turned madam who had a shared past with William? Julia chose not to think about how much of a shared past the two had, but she could also stand there no more, and made her presence known by walking into the room.

Smiling, the woman gestured to William. "He's all yours, Doctor Ogden. I've cut his clothes away so you can get right to work."

"Thank you. Miss Weston is it?" Julia asked.

"Yes, Dr. Ogden. I am. I'll give the two of you some privacy," she replied with a nod, and quickly left.

"Ettie Weston, William?" Julia couldn't help but ask.

"I'm as surprised as you are, Julia. I had no idea that she was here tonight or even if she's been here the whole time," he replied.

She believed him, and nodding, she set out to work, examining his arm.

"It's just a flesh wound. I made it seem worse than it actually was to give me a few moments to evaluate the situation as well as cause a distraction. Just wrap it, and a bit of morphine to take the sting out is all I need. It's minor, Julia." he stressed again.

A brief exam revealed that it was indeed a minor flesh wound, and thankfully Elise was a terrible shot while William was a great actor as his performance had indeed terrified her.

Except for the morphine that she didn't have with her, Julia treated him as asked.

"It's just as well, perhaps the pain will compel me to work a bit faster. I just want to go home, Julia," he explained.

"I know, William. So do I."

"Now that we're alone, and you've reassured yourself of my wellbeing, it's my turn to ask you: How are _you_ doing, Julia. I want the truth," he demanded.

Nodding, Julia took her time packing the first aid kit away. But she didn't answer. She was afraid to. She was half afraid William would say 'I told you so,' if she were to explain what had transpired between her and Peter.

"Julia, the Inspector told me that Peter was quite forward with you, and touched you inappropriately. Did he try anything, Julia? I need to know," he asked, lifting her chin with his finger.

Taking a deep breath, Julia squared her shoulders back and went for the truth, "Yes, he touched me in places I would rather he not, and once upstairs, he tried to have his way with me. It's exactly as you said yesterday, William. I played the role of prostitute at an establishment where my consent is implied by my very presence in the building," she replied, her voice surprising her by cracking. She blinked rapidly to hold back the tears that threatened to spill.

She'd had her life threatened before, had almost died before, had been inappropriately touched against her will before, and not to mention William had almost been killed before. She'd been through all of this previously, but she hadn't experienced it all in a single evening beforehand, and she began crying against her will once again.

Gathering her in his arms again, William embraced her and stroked her back to calm her.

"Did he violate you, Julia?" he asked again.

"No, there wasn't enough time for that," she answered.

"Did he attempt to do so?" he asked.

"Yes, he pushed me onto the bed, but I fought back. He did not get far before the Inspector came. William, I'm fine – just shaken." she answered.

"All right. We are both alive and relatively unscathed. We can discuss this further once we get home, or tomorrow evening. It _is_ the weekend, after all," he said with a laugh. "Let's get this over with now so we can enjoy some time with just the two of us, shall we?"

Drying her eyes with the handkerchief he'd handed her, she nodded. "I'd like that, William." She also wanted to know what Peter and Elise's motives were, and even more so, she was quite curious to talk to Ettie Weston in private, to thank her for saving their lives.

Her arm linked with his good arm, they walked back downstairs, where a crowd of individuals were tearing the place apart, looking for anything that may or may not be of use to Meyers and his ilk.

* * *

When Meyers' men found the ledger that gave names, sexual proclivities and other pertinent details of the club's clients, Julia wondered if these men would be blackmailed with what they found here. No doubt there were more than a few lives that could be destroyed with the contents of the book.

It was undeniably ironic that Julia delighted in the thought of these men being threatened with blackmail over public knowledge of their peccadilloes much the same way that she and who else knew how many other women had been. Still, she was curious what the book contained – particularly about William and the Inspector, who were technically members.

"May I?" she asked Meyers who was pouring over the information. "I'd like to at least see what it says about my husband and the Inspector" she asked.

"Of course, Dr. Ogden," Meyers replied as he moved the book towards her.

 _Thomas Brackenreid: Inspector. Jovial, bon-vivant. Particularly interested in red heads, more interested in companionship, kissing, and the show. Has not gone upstairs with any of the girls yet._

Julia smirked as she read the Inspector's entry. _I wonder if Mrs. Brackenreid knows…_ she wondered before she shrugged. While he had behaved less than honorably, at least he hadn't been unfaithful to his wife. Next, she found William's.

 _William Murdoch: Handsome, quiet man. Shows little interest in touching the girls, but it is quite content to watch. Has not gone upstairs with anyone, but could possibly be enticed with a private performance upstairs with two girls._

Julia laughed out loud as she contemplated what she'd read. Given what she'd gleaned from psychoanalysis and discussion with her husband, she wondered if he might quite possibly enjoy watching two women pleasure one another. Knowing that his desires ran deep, it was entirely possible, but she also doubted that he would ever admit it to himself on account of his religiousness and the impropriety inherent.

Perusing other names on the list, she was not at all surprised to see Chief Constable Davis' name as well as a few other highly recognizable names.

"What are you going to do with this, Mr. Meyers? Will you be blackmailing these men?" asked Julia. She was amused by the club's take on William's sexual proclivities, but she also knew that he would be horrified for this to be public knowledge.

"That depends, Doctor Ogden. What are you going to offer me if I choose to destroy this book?" he asked.

Julia stiffened at the question. The man was slime. However, she had to protect William and the Inspector.

"I'm afraid I don't have anything to offer right now except I would like both the names of Inspector Brackenreid and Detective Murdoch blacked out, please. The only reason they're in here is because of you," she requested.

Nodding, Meyers concurred. "Of course. I'll personally expunge their names myself."

"I would appreciate that greatly, Mr. Meyers."

Just as she was finishing her conversation with Meyers, she glanced over at William, who was holding Ettie Weston's hand. By this point, Ettie had removed her mask and Julia recognized her from so many years ago. Even though she knew she had nothing to fear – William would never be unfaithful to her, jealousy still tugged at her heart when she saw the familiarity of their actions with one another.

Had they physically enjoyed one another before she had known William? Had William sought solace with her after she had become involved with Darcy? She was dying to know, but she and William had long ago decided not to divulge the names of former lovers to one another and instead promise fidelity to one another for the rest of their lives.

Sighing, she pushed her irrational jealousy aside and tried not to eavesdrop on them, oblivious to all in deep, private conversation.

She must have looked forlorn, as Inspector Brackenreid soon reassured her.

"As I'm sure you're aware, Murdoch doesn't share a great deal with me Doctor, but it's plain as day that he's besotted with you. You have nothing to fear about that exchange," he nodded towards William and Ettie.

"Inspector, I'm not at all concerned, I'm merely curious, I…" she began before she was interrupted.

"I'm not a brilliant man like Murdoch, but I can read people, and I know when you two are jealous over the other," he cut in with a chuckle.

Julia had to concede that the man was right.

"Thank you, Inspector. For earlier, for everything actually," she acknowledged with a wave of her hand.

"Don't mention it. I need both of you, and seeing as both of you need one another, then this is something I need to do," he chuckled.

"Indeed, we do," she replied pensively. "Inspector, I must ask. How did you know it was me last night?" Julia wondered.

"While Murdoch has a type, even with a mask you remain quite distinctive. But from the moment I saw you yesterday evening, there was something I couldn't quite put my finger on, until I saw the two of you canoodling. Knowing that Murdoch would never betray you in a million years, I realized that it could only be you," he surmised.

Snorting, Julia shrugged in defeat. The man _could_ expertly read people.

There's nothing further here for you two tonight. I suggest you leave before Dr. Grace arrives to examine Henckel as she'll undoubtedly recognize you. Take our man home in the police carriage outside, and see that he gets some rest. Meyers will brief us at 3:00 pm tomorrow afternoon," he stated.

Staring again at William and Ettie, she saw them embrace before William stepped away and walked towards her.

"Come, William. Let's go home, shall we?" asked Julia

"Lead the way, Mrs. Murdoch," he replied.

As they hailed and settled into the waiting carriage, William pulled her into him and laid a kiss on her head.

"Though there be many a pretty girl, there will never be anyone but you. Your beauty is quite lovely, your intellect is quite arousing, and your spirit is quite intriguing. I love you, Julia," he whispered into her ear

Contentedly, she snuggled into his good side and closed her eyes.

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks to Ruthie Green for allowing me to use her idea of Ettie Weston as an accomplice of Terrence Meyers.


	15. Chapter 15Epilogue Part 2

Though the remnants of his once smart and proper suit lay in a quickly discarded pile along with her red dress, both of them had been far too exhausted and emotionally spent to do anything but go straight to sleep.

Now that it was the next morning, Julia woke to kisses that soon became molten which soon became an intimate encounter. Afterwards, they lay in bed and spoke of intimate matters, as they were wont to do.

"William, I am sorry for last night. You tried to warn me against going back, and I proved a distraction. I could have gotten you killed, and I was wrong," she admitted while laying in his arms.

"I must admit, your safety was, and will always be of the utmost concern for me. It doesn't matter what we're doing Julia, as I will almost always be worried about you, but such as it is, Julia. It's the price I pay for loving you, and it's worth it," he replied with another kiss.

"Additionally, I might also add that you make me better at my job. It seems that I was too busy missing you, and I failed to notice the Russians and any other foreign operatives, something that took you only one night. You might be a distraction, but ultimately, you make me better," he confessed.

"We are better together, William. I'm never happier than when I'm working with you…well, there is one thing I might enjoy doing with you more," she commented while reaching down under the covers and stroking his manhood.

Closing his eyes, he moaned in pleasure and drew a sharp breath when she began to massage him in addition to the stroking.

Deciding this was as good a time as any, Julia decided to broach the topic of William indulging his fantasies in the hopes of revisiting them.

"You know, one thing I particularly enjoyed the other night was you finally letting your reserve down and indulging one of your fantasies," she whispered into his ear.

At those words, his eyes shot open and his body went rigid.

"Julia, I, uh, I…" he fumbled for the words. He didn't know what to say, he'd been been nervously anticipating the moment when she mentioned how he'd dominated her a few nights ago. To be honest, he'd worried that she would be angry about it, and he wasn't sure how to respond to hearing her speak of how she'd enjoyed it.

"Does it surprise you to hear that I enjoyed the other night? That I wasn't frightened, but aroused? William, I trust you with my life, with everything. It's because I know you respect me, and that you'd never knowingly hurt me that I trust you to restrain me and dominate me. I enjoyed the thrill of a journey I couldn't control, while knowing that I was completely safe. I know that you also feel the same, because you allowed me to do the same with you a couple of nights later. I've been asking about your dark places for months now, and I'm so pleased that you've finally trusted me," said Julia as she stroked his chest, allowing her hand to slip lower and lower once again beneath the covers.

"Julia, I don't necessarily want to admit them to myself," he admitted.

"Sexual relations within the bonds of matrimony are not a sin, William. Such "sex play" as you have called it is perfectly fine between a husband and his wife. There's nothing at all aberrant about it," she reassured him.

"I enjoyed the other night and having my way with you, Julia. Immensely. I also enjoyed being at your mercy and being yours to have your way with, I will also admit. Taking turns being in charge is quite exciting, and while I freely agree to exploring this side to our relationship, I still want the romantic connection like we had this morning, I still enjoy that," William confessed.

"Of course. I still want that as well. Not everything has to be play," agreed Julia.

Sighing, she moved her hand back up to his chest, and snuggled into his side. Now that she had assured him of her own desires and interests, perhaps he would feel comfortable indulging his again. Calm and relaxed, she contented herself with listening to the comforting drub of his heart. In quiet bliss, she was surprised by William's next question.

"Julia, while we're at it, I'd like to know. Is there a reason you keep deferring and avoiding all conversations about adoption. I've been forthright with you, and if you've changed your mind, I'll be disappointed, but I'll eventually understand," he asked. Now, it was her turn to go rigid with surprise.

Nodding, she took several breaths to calm her nerves. "Not exactly, William. I'm not opposed to adopting a child, but to be honest, I'd like to explore some recent advances in fertility, to see if there's any chance that we may be able to have our own child. It's a long shot, William, but I want to try," she finally admitted, fearing his reaction.

There was silence soon followed by chuckling as he kissed the top of her head, his body relaxing.

"William, you're not upset about another delay?"

"Not for that reason. If anything, I'm excited by it," he admitted.

"William Murdoch! You can't be serious?"

"I am. To be frank, I was concerned that you had changed your mind. I've been trying to prepare myself for that fact. This is a welcome surprise as well as a relief," he assured her.

"I've been worried that you would be upset at me for stalling or for some other reason. I know you want a child sooner rather than later…" she explained before she trailed off. "Wait. William Murdoch, are you telling me that you're aroused by such a prospect?" she asked.

"Of course it arouses me. That's a fantasy I've never dared voice, but yes, before I knew you were sterile, I often imagined you quite round with my child, and of course, everyone would know who had gotten you that way," he leered at her.

"Oh, my! I suspect that I may have known of that at least in part. That conversation we had about animal husbandry, you were actually giving voice to one of your fantasies," she surmised.

"I suppose that's true. But Julia, I married you knowing full well that you couldn't have children. If we try these treatments -something to which I am fully amenable to provided they are ethical- and you do not become pregnant, while I will be disappointed, they will not change my feelings for you," he admitted with a sheepish grin.

"The thought of making a child with you is quite exciting," she confessed.

"Indeed."

With a wolfish look on his face, he rolled on top of her, pinning her hands above her head as they both surrendered anew.

* * *

Later, looking at the clock, she saw that they had spent the morning in bed and it was now half past eleven.

Reading her mind, William kissed her temple. "It looks like we've missed breakfast, Mrs. Murdoch. Perhaps we should get ready for the day and have lunch before meeting with Mr. Meyers," he suggested.

"A fine idea, Mr. Murdoch," she agreed as she raced to beat her husband to the shower. Just a step behind her, he captured her and carried her into their bathroom.

Maybe they weren't going to make lunch after all.

* * *

At half past two, Julia and William arrived back at the club, where a man guarding the door wordlessly allowed them entrance. There didn't appear to be anyone else there.

As they wordlessly moved into the main parlor where the entire spectacle had occurred nightly, what had once seemed sumptuous and luxurious, now seemed overwrought, ostentatious, and overdone as the harsh daylight from open windows poured into the once secretive room. The spell had undoubtedly been broken as she looked around with a shudder. Some spy she had been, she'd been dealing with one of them on an intimate basis for weeks and she'd been so charmed at the thought of a woman rising from nothing to building an exclusive and successful business that she'd been blind to the woman's true motives.

Pulling herself out of her musings, she found William standing in the middle of the room, looking up at the rope swing with a smile on his face.

"Pleasant memory, William?" she asked.

"I suppose you could say so," he answered with a smirk. "I've imagined you up here, in little to nothing at all," he admitted with a blush. "How's that for a fantasy," he admitted with a lecherous grin.

"What would you say if I told you that I had imagined the same thing? Perhaps such a thing could be incorporated into the house," she answered with a smirk of her own.

"I believe that can be arranged as well as other things," he replied, pulling her flush against him and capturing her mouth in a searing kiss.

"It seems that this room inspires all sorts of romantic encounters," a familiar voice drawled.

William and Julia quickly pulled apart to find Meyers standing there with Brackenreid standing behind him.

"What do you have to tell us, Meyers?" William asked.

"I would like to commend you all for your dedication and hard work. Because of you, we identified Peter Henckels and his operatives, and they are no longer a threat to Canada," he proudly stated.

"There's more to the story than that, Mr. Meyers, and I'm not leaving until we hear it," Julia pronounced.

"I must say, Murdoch, you're quite the permissive husband. That's unusual. But then, she did bring the money to the relationship," Meyers commented.

"I don't "allow" her to do anything, I merely support her, Meyers. Also, I agree with her. I demand an accounting as well," William quipped.

Laughing, Meyers pulled on his cigar. "I thought you might," he acknowledged. "Very well, the club was a base of sorts for the Prussians as well as other spies who would check in at the club and generally play the spy game, details of which I am not allowed to tell you," he added with a flourish.

"We don't care about your little games, Meyers. Why was our presence necessary in the first place? Why did we have to do your job?" Brackenreid asked.

"Because they already knew me, and of course they weren't going to let me in on any relevant details. I needed an outsider, an unknown commodity to any of them. I knew many of the men here, and which countries they worked for, but I must admit, I was not aware the Russian toy makers were agents, and I did not know that Peter Henckel was a Prussian operative. I was also not aware that Elise was assisting Peter," he nodded towards Julia. "I must admit, I truly didn't see that coming," he added.

"Yes, Mr. Meyers, what will happen to Ms. Beauregard," Julia asked. Despite her fury at the woman for having shot her husband, she was still loath to see the woman 'removed' if she were to use Meyers' own terminology.

If she were entirely honest with herself, she was also furious at herself for being duped by a criminal once again. She usually considered herself a pretty good judge of character.

"Well, Elise Beauregard is indeed her real name. She was an ambitious woman from one of the finest houses of ill repute in Montreal and coincidentally, Peter Henckel's favorite whore. Really, she wasn't lying so much as withholding information. She was persuaded to manage this house and was given the necessary capital to pull it off, and the backstory that she has been giving people is indeed her actual life story –which is the beauty of it," Meyers gestured appreciatively. "She's merely an opportunistic woman who seized her chance."

"What was a Prussian spy doing here in Toronto, what was his aim?" the Inspector asked.

"His goal was to establish a base here in Toronto, induce various operatives to spend their evenings here, and hopefully glean valuable information from pillow talk. Therefore, in addition to each of the tables in the main parlor being bugged, all of the bedrooms were set up with recording devices, and in the mornings, Henckel and his assistant –who has also been identified- would listen to the conversations for pertinent details. He also collected details on various sexual proclivities in the hopes of using them as blackmail should the need and opportunity arise," Meyers answered.

"These details, Meyers. Were they collected on everyone?" asked William with some concern in his voice.

"Are you wondering if they were collected on Inspector Brackenreid and yourself? They were. But, allow me to assure you that that information has already been redacted from the ledger, since you were not here of your own volition, but at the behest of the crown. If you would like to know what was written, I will never tell another soul. However, perhaps Dr. Ogden would care to enlighten you, as she is aware and may elect to tell you if she desires," he responded.

"Mr. Meyers, you still have not told us what will happen to Madame Beauregard," Julia reminded him.

"Alas, she has agreed to assist another spy in much the same way as Miss Weston assists me. As I said, she is ambitious and an opportunist, so once we offered her the chance to work with us, she readily agreed. Isn't that right, Miss Weston?" he asked while looking at a woman standing at the top of the stairs.

"Dr. Ogden, Inspector Brackenreid, William," she acknowledged with a nod. "I personally assure you that she is well and in good spirits about her new arrangement. She is joining us happily, I promise," Ettie reassured them, making it a particular point to look at William, who bowed and kissed her hand in greeting.

"Then I am convinced," William replied. "Ettie, I can't thank you enough for your assistance last night. I am in debt to you, if there is anything you ever need, please contact me."

"There's no debt, William. That's what friends are for," she replied.

William smiled and blushed before glancing down. "Indeed."

"Dr. Ogden, I wonder if I may have a word with you," Ettie asked, turning to Julia.

"Of course, Miss Weston," Julia replied stepping over to the other side of the room with the woman.

Though the men couldn't hear what was said, they saw the woman whisper something into Julia's ear. In response, Julia smiled warmly and squeezed Ettie's arm.

William released a breath he hadn't realized that he had been holding. He'd been concerned about what was going to transpire between the two women, and he was relieved that their interaction had been positive.

"I believe that is all that I am at liberty to share with you. Gentlemen, Doctor, at this time I hereby relieve you from your duties," he pronounced as he doffed his hat towards Julia and took his leave, Ettie Weston on his arm.

"Bloody bastard. If we see him again, it'll be entirely too soon," Brackenreid scoffed once they heard the front door close behind them.

"I couldn't agree more, sir," commented William.

"Dr. Ogden, dare I ask what was written about us in that bloody book," asked the Inspector.

"For you, Inspector, nothing salacious at all. They were perplexed that you hadn't gone upstairs with any of the ladies, and that you were quite taken with redheads," Julia informed him.

"Huh," the man scoffed. "Perhaps you could mention the first detail to the missus, but withhold the second?" he asked.

Laughing, Julia nodded. "I can do that, Inspector."

"What about me, Julia? Dare I ask?" William queried.

"I'll tell you later, William. I'm afraid yours was a bit more scandalous," she informed him.

"How now, Murdoch! What do I say, it's always the quiet ones, 'eh?" Brackenreid jibed at William.

Turning bright red, William looked at the ground as though he wished for some sort of distraction.

Julia decided to give it to him, knowing how humiliated he felt at that moment. "Gentlemen, you haven't asked about Mr. Meyers. Unbeknownst to him, I read of his preferences as well. It seems that he enjoys something known as a golden shower, which I believe is a man taking pleasure at a woman relieving herself on him as well as being paddled like a naughty schoolboy."

"Julia!" William admonished while the Inspector laughed heartily.

"I'm not going to ask how your wife knows of such things, Murdoch, and take this opportunity to take my leave, as it's apparent you have quite a bit to discuss. I'll see you on Monday," he said laughing as he tipped his own hat towards Julia and left.

"Julia, I uh… once again, you surprise me," William said laughing while blushing. "What did Ettie say to you?" he asked as he took her arm and they walked towards the door to take their own leave.

"Some things are meant to be secrets and better left unsaid, William. I think I understand why the two of you are unlikely friends," she replied.

"Fair enough. I won't pry. Do you mind enlightening me as to what was written about me in the book," he asked as they stepped outside, hailing a carriage.

"Not at all. William, have you ever fantasized about watching two women pleasure one another?" she asked.

"Julia, wherever did you get such a preposterous idea," he sputtered, as they stepped into the cab and again blushing in embarrassment. "Oh. I see," he admitted once he understood source of the question. "Where did the club get that idea?" he asked once they had settled into the carriage.

"It seems that they understood your fidelity to me to be a preference for voyeurism seeing as you were content to merely observe. There are some people who enjoy the act of watching while not physically getting involved, William," she announced with a shrug.

William, having been suitably shocked enough for one day did not respond, but instead looked out the window in silence. Julia again took pity on him and left him alone, merely placing her hand on his thigh. In response, he entwined his fingers in hers.

" _That wasn't exactly a denial, William,"_ she thought to herself with a laugh as she looked out the other window on the return to their hotel.

* * *

And that's all folks, for now, at least. What do you think Ettie said to Julia? What did you like? Thanks for your patience for my WIP, and apologize for taking so long to complete it. This story has been sitting on my hard drive for a year, and a WIP was the accountability I needed to force myself to finish it. Thanks to all so far for your encouragement and comments-they mean a lot to me and help me greatly!


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